Stealing the Wind
by Lestaki
Summary: Following a narrow victory at the Team Tournament, Tsuruga look to the Individuals as a chance to prove their win was more than just a fluke. AU, Tsuruga-centric, mahjong-centric, light romance. The other schools get a look in, especially Ryumonbuchi.
1. Chapter 1

**Stealing the Wind: Part One**

Five girls in blue blazers walked through dark streets, framed by the pools of the street-lights. Above them, a full moon reflected a faint radiance over the town, exaggerating the shadows that grew between the points of light. But the silence and the grandeur of the night was broken by their laughter and animated conversation, a circle of light and warmth that reached further and cut deeper than anything else.

"What are we going to do after we've eaten?" Satomi Kanbara, grinning. "I could play mahjong until the sun rises, but I doubt people are really in the mood for that right now."

"I don't mind," Yumi Kajiki said calmly. "But I don't think it would be advisable. Considering the short length of time from here to the Individuals, it'd be unwise to disrupt everyone's sleep too much. And of course, we have school to attend, as usual."

"Wahaha." Kanbara glanced sidelong at her friend. "If that's the case, shouldn't we all go straight home?"

"Everyone deserves to celebrate, so I'll turn a blind eye in this one case," Yumi said. "This was an unprecedented victory brought about by everyone's joint efforts. But we shouldn't stay up for more than one or two hours. I have any number of spare futons, so if it comes to it, people sleeping over at my place isn't a problem."

"Really? Is that fine?" Momoko Toyoko asked. "Your parents won't mind?"

"Well, they shouldn't return for a few more days," Yumi said. She changed her grip on the plastic bags she was carrying, frowning slightly. "There's no problem."

"Let me take that," Kanbara said, stepping forwards and teasing the two bags from Yumi's hands. "But this is really rare. To think a good girl like you would do something like this..."

"Even I get affected by the atmosphere in times like this," Yumi said. "It's fine, isn't it?"

"It's more than fine, it's a good thing," Kanbara said, taking the bags and falling back slightly again. "I just found it interesting."

"I see." Yumi grinned. "Well, maybe this really is unlike me. But I think it's unlike you as well."

Kanbara chuckled again. "We're going to the national tournament. If the sun rose in the west tomorrow, I wouldn't be surprised."

"If that happened, it would be a problem," Momo said playfully. "But isn't it a little exciting to be out this late? Like we're doing something special."

"It's dangerous, more than anything else," Yumi said. "That's another reason why people should sleep over."

"I suppose so," Kanbara said. "But Momo's right, as well. I haven't done something like this in so long."

"Indeed." Mutsuki Tsuyama nodded slightly, smiling. "I'm also tempted by the idea of all-night mahjong."

"So that's not just me, huh? That's a relief." Kanbara turned to glance at her friend. "How about you, Kaori? You've been very quiet."

Kaori Senoo stifled a yawn. "I'm sorry. I'm really tired, though. It's been a very long day."

"Indeed. If you'd rather go straight home, I can call a cab for you. Otherwise I'll sort out somewhere for you to sleep the moment we' arrive," Yumi said.

"No, I'm fine," Kaori said. "It'd be a shame to go asleep straight away."

"She's a big girl, she can look after herself." Kanbara slapped Yumi on the back. "It's okay for you to switch off, you know. Tonight is special, after all."

Yumi blinked. "I see. I'm sorry if I'm being overbearing."

Kanbara smiled as she sighed. "That's not what I mean."

"I think you're fine as you are, even now," Momo said to Yumi. "It's reassuring."

"Really?" Yumi said.

"Yes, really." Momo grinned shyly.

"I see. Thank you." Yumi turned, leading the group down a side-road, eventually stopping in front of a house and unlocking the gate. "We're here."

"Ah. This is a big house," Kaori said sleepily.

"You've never been here, but this is like our second clubroom," Kanbara said. "To the extent it makes me feel guilty."

"Don't worry about it," Yumi said, walking up to the front door and sliding the key into the lock. "It's often empty, after all. It's a relief to have some company." She slid her key back into her inner pocket, flipping on the lights.

"Thanks, thanks," Kanbara said, following her into the house and putting the plastic bags down. "I'll put the food on the living room table, okay?"

"That's a help. I'll bring down those futon. There's room on the floor for now. In any case, make yourselves at home." Yumi walked towards the stairs.

"I'll help you," Momo said, quickly taking off her shoes and following Yumi.

Mutsuki gently guided Kaori onto one of the sofas. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Kaori yawned. "I just wonder why you're all so awake."

"Because we're mahjong addicts," Kanbara said playfully, sitting down herself. "But after today's performance, you certainly deserve the rest."

"Thanks," Kaori said tiredly. "I don't really get what I did so well, though."

Yumi slid open the door to her room, opening a cupboard and taking out folded blankets. "Here. Thanks for the help."

"No problem," Momo said, taking them. "Thanks again, letting us stay here. It's really fine if I sleep over?"

"Of course. Anything else would be irresponsible of me, like I said."

"Hmm." Momo pouted.

"I'll say it one more time, though. Thanks for everything, Momo." Yumi turned back, her arms full of blankets. She cocked her head slightly as she smiled. "Without you, this miracle wouldn't have been possible. Now we've come this far, I can only thank you again for lending us your power."

Momo blushed. "Um. No, not at all. You're much more amazing, and it's all thanks to you we won..."

"What are you saying?" Yumi said. "Scoring positively on the fierce table against the Vice-Captains was an amazing performance. Without that, I wouldn't have been able to make it through even with my luck."

"You've been doing nothing but praise me all evening," Momo said, looking down and smiling. "Even though I dealt into that big breasted girl. All I can think about it is how I'll do better next time."

"That attitude is why you're this strong to begin with, though," Yumi said. "Don't let go of that, but don't lose sight of your achievements, either. We're all proud to call you Tsuruga's Vice-Captain."

"Thanks." Momo breathed out, looking slightly overwhelmed.

"In any case, let's have fun tonight." Yumi glanced at her clock. "I mean, this morning."

Momo laughed. "Yes, I will." She followed Yumi out, staring shyly at the older girl's back.

"It's mysterious," Yumi said. "I can't calm myself down, even after this many hours. I haven't felt this excited in a long time."

"It's nice. You're normally so calm, even when everyone else is emotional." Momo smiled. "Seeing you like this is a little reassuring."

"Reassuring?" Yumi asked lightly. "Am I that scary normally?"

"No, not at all. I guess reassuring is the wrong word, but I can't explain it very well." Momo's brow crinkled as they entered one of the spare bedrooms and laid out the futon. "I think it's just fun to be happy together."

"Well said," Yumi said, kneeling while she unfolded the blankets. "This is a victory everyone in the club shares."

Momo smiled wanly, quietly continuing her work. Once they'd finished, she noiselessly followed Yumi back downstairs, her presence fading into her surroundings.

"Sit down, you two," Kanbara said cheerfully. "Kaori's good for another five minutes." She'd placed the large trophy in the middle of the table, with food and drink arranged around it. "Mutsuki, pass me the other trophy."

"Right." Mutsuki opened her backpack, taking out a smaller golden trophy and passing it to Kanbara.

Kanbara smirked as Yumi began to lay out the futon. "Yumi, catch." She tossed the trophy across the room.

"That's dangerous," Yumi said, narrowly catching it.

"You caught it, though. I'll be taking the big one to school, but you can keep that one if you like." Kanbara grinned. "And before we start, why doesn't the tournament MVP say a few words?"

Yumi nodded. "I suppose I should say something, but it's just as a member of our team, rather than anything else." She stood a little straighter, waiting for a moment while Momo settled onto a sofa. "Everyone did well, and I'm proud of you all. For a first-time school like ours to make it through to the Nationals is a really remarkable achievement, and it was something that emerged from everyone's efforts. However, we can't rest on our laurels. I want us to consider the Individuals a passing point. We'll be using that chance to become thoroughly accustomed to national-level play. That's our basis for moving forwards."

"And what's our goal?" Kanbara asked.

"Of course, we're aiming to win the Nationals," Yumi said.

"Wahahaha. I knew you'd say that." Kanbara sat back, smiling. "Well, let's run with this victory, as far as we can."

Yumi nodded, sitting down on the sofa, before shifting uncomfortably and jumping up again. "Sorry, Momo."

"Don't worry about it," Momo said, scooting sideways.

Yumi sat down where Momo had been sitting, blushing slightly. "It's been a while since I last made that mistake. How embarrassing."

"I guess even you get tired," Kanbara said, passing her a drink.

"Don't worry about it. I don't mind at all," Momo said. "It's my fault, because I wasn't paying attention."

"Normally you can safely expect people not to sit on you, even if you're not paying attention," Yumi said.

"I'm not normal, though," Momo said innocently. "And you're welcome to sit on my lap any time."

"Wahahaha." Kanbara grinned. "That'd be impressive to see. But wouldn't it make more sense to do it the other way round?"

Yumi flushed, taking a gulp of her drink to cover her embarrassment. "We're not children, you know. I'll be more careful in future."

"I don't think it's a matter of being careful," Kanbara said playfully.

"Anyway, I could do with a hand here," Mutsuki said quietly. Kaori was slumped against the sofa, her head leaning listlessly against Mutsuki's shoulder. The dark-haired girl shifted uncomfortably without moving enough to shake the sleeping girl loose. "Is there some way to move her without waking her up?"

"That's Kaori for you, trying to be tough for our sakes," Kanbara said. "Just shake her awake, Mutsuki. We can tuck her into one of the futons."

"Is that really okay?" Mutsuki asked nervously.

"It's fine, it's fine," Kanbara said, standing up and reaching for the younger girl. "She's grown a bit too big for me or anyone else to carry." She shook Kaori by the shoulders. "Wake up, you sleepy-head. You're bothering Mutsuki."

Kaori's eyes flickered open. "Ah, sorry... I think I drifted off when Yumi was speaking. I'm sorry." She sat up, shaking her head. "I'm fine."

"You're not fine. We've kept you up too late, but you can sleep now. Just not on poor Mutsuki." Kanbara helped Kaori up. "The usual room, right, Yumi?"

"That's right," Yumi said. "There's pleanty of room. I'll help you."

"No, that's fine. Mutsuki, tag along with me, okay?"

"Sure." Mutsuki stood as well.

"Leave this to us," Kanbara said, grinning cheerfully. "I've always been the one who looks after Kaori, after all."

"I'm not a kid any more," Kaori said sleepily.

"I know that," Kaori said, helping her up the stairs. "You're a lot heavier than you used to be."

Mutsuki frowned as they reached the landing above. "Am I really needed for anything?"

"Wahaha. Sorry, but humour me here." Kanbara smiled. "I'm looking after our number two. As a president, I need to make sure Momoko gets her precious Yumi time on occasions like this."

"I see," Mutsuki said. "Does that mean we're all in the way, then?"

"We're all friends here, but some people are more friendly than others," Kanbara said. "And since she's a valued new member, spoiling Momoko a little is sensible."

"I don't get spoiled," Kaori complained. "Even though I'm also a new member."

"We're spoiling you right now," Kanbara said, sliding open the door to the bedroom and guiding Kaori to one of the futon. "Give me your glasses and jacket, okay?"

Kaori nodded, yawning. "I can do that myself, though..."

"I don't know if you want to be spoiled or not," Kanbara said, carefully taking off Kaori's glasses and placing them carefully on the desk. "But you did great today, Kaori. We really appreciate it."

Kaori threw off her jacket, collapsing into the futon and pulling the blankets over herself. "It's fine. Don't worry about it. I want to stay up, but I'm just... really tired..."

"Well, don't force yourself," Kanbara said, kneeling by the futon. "And thanks for going along with my demands. I know I'm unreasonable."

"It's fine. It's fun." Kaori yawned. "Good night."

"Good night, Kaori." Kanbara looked up. "How about you, Mutsuki? Do you want to go to bed?"

"I'm still okay, barely," Mutsuki said.

"I see. Then let's go back downstairs." Kanbara stood, stretching her arms. "What's wrong? That's a complicated face."

"Not really... I just wondered if I could talk to you about something." Mutsuki shifted uncomfortably, stepping back into the corridor again.

"Of course," Kanbara said calmly. "Anything is fine."

"I was thinking about today, and wondering," Mutsuki said awkwardly. "Whether I'm just getting in the way."

"Of those two? I told you, Momo doesn't mind either way. I'm just being whimsical, as usual."

"Not that," Mutsuki. "But playing today... I wasn't able to be much use. Momoko and Yumi are both so amazing, and Kaori was also remarkable in her own way, but I didn't really achieve anything."

"If it's about that, you're not alone. In the end, I couldn't stop Kiyosumi and Ryumonbuchi's counter-attack." Kanbara smiled. "But you should know by now, everyone has bad days. And even more than that, you're vital to the team. We're a club of five, and a team of five... Yumi's not being polite when she's saying this was our joint victory. In that sense, you're irreplaceable, Mutsuki."

"I know that," Mutsuki said. "But I just can't feel satisfied with my performance today, even though the team won. It's a little selfish of me."

"That's a different matter. I share your feelings, but that goes for all of us, I think. Even Momo and Yumi are probably reflecting on the things they could have done better. They're like that, after all." Kanbara stretched, rubbing her back with the palms of her hands. "We'll all do better next time. But we can all be pleased with how we did this time, as well. And if you want to become a stronger player, of course, that will happen. Leave that to Yumi and I."

"Right. Thank you." Mutsuki smiled tiredly. "Thank you for listening to me, as well. This is something I'd have found hard to say to Yumi."

"Wahaha. Yumi would have said the same thing I did, though." Kanbara stepped forwards, slapping Mutsuki hard on the back. "Let's go forwards with passion, as the normal players on the team."

Mutsuki winced in pain, rubbing her back as she followed Kanbara down the stairs. "Right. I'll do that."

Yumi frowned slightly, glancing at Momo while the other three girls headed upstairs. "How are you feeling? Do you need to sleep?"

"No, I'm fine," Momo said. "I might lie down a little later, though."

"I see." Yumi rubbed her forehead. "I am sorry for earlier, though. I thought I'd improved, when it comes to perceiving you. I guess I got complacent."

"I told you, I don't mind at all," Momo said patiently. "I've been like this my whole life, but you can see me more than anyone else I've ever known."

"I mind, though," Yumi said.

"Then let me sit on your lap," Momo said coyly.

"How does it come to that?" Yumi asked.

"Because I find it funny," Momo said. "I'm sure Kanbara would find it funny, too."

"I'm sure she would," Yumi admitted. "But it is an embarrassing thought."

"Would you find it that uncomfortable?" Momo asked.

"I'm not sure. It just seems like an odd idea to me." Yumi sighed. "But I am trying to apologise to you. So I suppose I can go along with this, just this once."

"It's not a matter of apologising. If you don't want to do it, I won't," Momo said, pouting and turning away. "There's no point that way."

Yumi sighed, glancing at the younger girl. "I don't really understand, but if you say so."

"Sorry. I know I'm being stubborn." Momo closed her eyes. "But since we won today, we still have a reason to stay together. I'm going to do my best from now on, as well."

"I know. I'm counting on you." Yumi paused for a moment, lost in thought. "Momo... I can't really say it very well, but I'm glad we won."

"Of course you are," Momo said, turning back and smiling. "We all worked hard for this, right? And winning is fun."

"No, of course there's that, but that's not what I mean." Yumi sighed again. "Before the tournament, you said that as well... that mahjong is the reason we met, and the reason we see each other. Of course, I wanted to win for the sake of winning itself. But that's not my only motivation. I still want to stay with you, even if it's only for a little while longer."

"As a member of the team?" Momo asked, her eyes focused on Yumi's face.

"Not just that." Yumi smiled wanly. "Sorry, I'm bad at things like this. I just can't find the words."

"Even though you're normally so eloquent," Momo said, pouting and turning her head away.

"Sorry." Yumi smiled. "Mahjong is easier to understand. But we've had fun up until now, and I'm sure things will continue to be fun from now on."

"Yeah." Momo smiled. "I'll do my best, like I said."

"Putting that aside, how do you think your parents will react to this?" Yumi asked. "Ideally, I'd want to work you and everyone else to the bone sharpening our game before the Nationals, but I can't just assume that's possible."

"My parents won't worry about anything like that," Momo said. "I can spend as much time as I like on mahjong."

"I see. That's convenient," Yumi said thoughtfully.

"How about you and Kanbara?" Momo asked. "You two are the third years, right? Aren't you busy?"

"I'm fine. I'm confident my exams will go well even if I concentrate on the Nationals before that point. And my parents essentially let me organise my own time as I please." Yumi shrugged. "As for Kanbara, I'll have to ask her myself. It's certainly more complicated for her than for me."

Momo giggled. "Your confidence is always amazing, whether it's mahjong or anything else."

"Really? I have pleanty of my own worries, though," Yumi said calmly.

"Like what?" Momo asked.

"Whether I'm good enough to be the Captain of a National Team, for one. But even putting that aside, I'm more worried about whether I'm going to be able to bring out the potential of you and the others on the team." Yumi closed her eyes. "I have time now, and I couldn't ask for anything more from all of you. You and Mutsuki are very willing to learn, and Kaori has also been trying her best. But up until now, I've always been playing mahjong for myself. Teaching you all is an imposing task."

"I see. That really is worrying too much, though." Momo smiled. "We couldn't ask for a better Captain, or a better mentor."

"I'm sure that's not true, but hearing you say it is reassuring." Yumi grinned. "I probably shouldn't talk to you about that kind of worry, though."

"I don't mind, though. I want to be of use to you," Momo said. "But just as I thought, all your worries are about mahjong, not school-work. I'm a little jealous."

"If you have any academic problems, be sure to come to me. It's arrogant of me to say this, but I have much more confidence in my ability to teach that, compared with teaching mahjong." Yumi leaned back in the sofa. "And it's the least I can do, after keeping all of you busy at the club."

"I'll consider that," Momo said. "But it's not as if it's a big problem. My test scores tend to be really average. Just like you'd expect, really."

"I see," Yumi said. "Well, if you ever need my help for that or anything else, just ask. As your senior, I have that much responsibility."

"That sounds reliable. But I feel the same way." Momo smiled shyly. "I want to be of use to you, as well. Not just in mahjong."

Yumi smiled. "Thank you, Momo."

"Getting along, as usual," Kanbara said airily, walking down the stairs. "But I put Kaori to bed, so let us join in as well."

"That's good." Yumi frowned. "I'm worried about Kaori. We don't want to push her too far."

"Thinking of going easy on her, even though you're probably thinking of a training regime that will make us all cry?" Kanbara said playfully. "That's not like you, Yumi."

"I suppose so. But it still makes me uneasy, since she joined as a favour to you."

"Wahaha. Well, don't underestimate her." Kanbara grinned. "I've known Kaori my whole life, so I have confidence when I say she's strong in her own way. And if you went easy on her, I'd have to get mad, speaking as her friend."

Yumi smiled. "I see. That would be a problem."

"Your leadership has got us this far, Yumi," Kanbara said. "And we'll be counting on you from now on, as well."

"I agree," Mutsuki. "No matter what you ask me to do, I'll be willing."

"Of course," Momo said, smiling.

Yumi nodded. "I understand. Tonight... this morning, we can relax. But we'll get serious from now on. Be prepared."

Several hours later, Yumi stepped out into the garden at the back of her house, looking up at the sky. Kanbara snored as she slept, sprawled out on the sofa behind her.

"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?"

Yumi blinked, looking sideways. "You were there, Momo?"

"Mm." Momo grabbed Yumi's arm, tugging it slightly as her presence became visible.

"I thought you'd already gone to bed. Or rather, you should go to bed, already."

"That goes for you, as well," Momo said. "Why are you outside like this?"

"I wanted to look at the moon," Yumi said. "Just a whim."

"I see. Well, it is a beautiful night." Momo yawned, leaning her head against Yumi's shoulder.

"Yes, it is." Yumi looked up at the full moon, smiling faintly. "The moon scooped from the sea. I never really reflected on that name before now, but Koromo really was that high above me. Kiyosumi's Captain was the same. I can't help but feel a bitter-sweet envy when I think about it." She raised her right hand above her head, reaching for the moon. "The way they play mahjong is like the stars in the heavens to me. Something I can't touch and hold with my own hands however long I live and however hard I try. But it's possible the stars are so beautiful precisely because they lie beyond our reach."

"I think you're less far from them than you think," Momo said softly. "I feel the same way, that you're something I can't obtain..."

"Anyone can play like I can, with enough experience," Yumi said. "Consecutive Haitei and Rinshan wins are different."

"So's robbing a kan," Momo said sleepily.

"That was a strategy, though," Yumi said.

"But it's a strategy only you could use." Momo yawned again. "Though I wasn't talking about mahjong, anyway."

Yumi smiled. "I see. You're right here with me, though."

"Maybe so. You're looking up, though."

Yumi turned her head, looking at Momo. "Mm. Well, let's sleep. Everything else comes after that."

Momo nodded, her expression cheerful. "Okay."


	2. Chapter 2

**Steal the Wind- Part 2**

To discuss review points in no particular order... I'm rebooting my work on Yumi and Momo's backgrounds, though a lot of it will be along the same lines. Yumi is just so bourgeois, after all.

This time I'm Anglicising the dialogue, so no honourifics and common use of first names.

I've written a one-shot on how Tsuruga could win. A less convoluted method would be 'Yumi wins from Koromo's 1-pin with her 13 Orphans'.

Comments on how my stuff is dialogue heavy and lacks description is accurate and appreciated. I'll see what I can do, but description is something I've always struggled with.

* * *

"Tsumo. Riichi, Strongly Closed, Endless, Pointless, Dora One." Yumi reached for the dead wall, placing the Dora indicator aside and flipping the reverse Dora. "Reverse Dora One. Six thousand all."

"Ouch. Somebody's on perfect form." Kanbara tossed the point sticks across the table. "A dealer limit and a half... not a bad way to finish."

"Quite" Yumi said. "I'm worried about Momo, though. Were you waiting?"

"Yes. I'd called riichi." Momo's presence strengthened again as she pushed her hand open. "Seven Pairs, Dora Two. I was hoping for the direct hit, but I'd have taken it from anyone."

"A wait I was in furiten for, of course. Well done." Yumi smiled. "Looks like I had a lucky escape."

"Um. Is it okay if I play in the next game?" Kaori said, leaning against another of the tables.

"No. Remember the plan." Yumi closed her eyes. "I used to think beginner's luck was just selection bias, but after the tournament, I'm not so sure. Considering the short amount of time to the Individuals, I'm betting on that rather than any small improvements you could make over the next few days."

"It's unfair," Kaori said. "I want to play."

"It's fine. You can learn a lot by watching others play, as well." Kanbara grinned. "Just watch Yumi and try to understand her discards."

"Okay," Kaori said, looking disappointed.

"I've finished recording the scores," Mutsuki said, placing the score-sheets on another of the desks. "One more game?"

"We can finish East, at least," Yumi said. "After that, I'll go over our strategy for the Individuals one more time."

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in," Kanbara said, looking puzzled.

The door slid open and two adults entered, one of them holding a recorder and one of them holding a camera. "Sorry for intruding. I'm Nishida from Weekly Mahjong Today. We've received permission from your school to interview Yumi Kajiki. Would you be willing to answer a few questions?"

"I don't mind," Yumi said. "Though we're busy preparing for the Individuals, so please keep this as brief as possible."

Nishida looked around the room. "This is your club room? Fairly sparse, isn't it?"

"Tsuruga's mahjong club has always barely existed, since Kazekoshi attracts all the students interested in mahjong in this prefecture," Yumi said. "But these facilities are plenty. Mahjong is a game that can be played with a set, four players and a table, after all. Everything else is just a luxury."

"I see. But that makes your victory in the Team Tournament for this region all the more unexpected. How did you feel going into the Finals?"

"Of course, I had the mentality of a challenger," Yumi said. "But mahjong is a game of chance as well as skill. Even if we didn't have the power of Ryumonbuchi or Kazekoshi, we felt we could still win. And just as I'd hoped, we made it through."

Nishida nodded. "Your clutch play in South Four of the final han-chan has attracted a lot of attention, but going over the records, you've had no past appearances in any mahjong event. When did you start playing mahjong?"

"I've played with my family and family friends since I was a child," Yumi said. "I also play online."

"Why didn't you attend Kazekoshi yourself?"

"Until very recently, I wasn't interested in competitive mahjong in real life. That's all."

Nishida nodded again. "The Captain's match was filled with extremely unlikely statistical occurrences. The Rinshan Kaihou wins from Kiyosumi's Captain and the Haitei Raoyue wins from Koromo Amae were remarkable. How did you feel to be playing against those opponents?"

"Naturally, they were intimidating. Considering their playing styles, they are both clearly used to being able to win in that manner on a regular basis. For a more orthodox player like myself, that is a frightening thought." Yumi frowned. "However, when all's said and done, those matches were extremely enjoyable. Those two players, and Kazekoshi's Captain, all of them are capable of abnormal but extremely high-level play. I would play them again without hesitation."

"You consider yourself an orthodox player, then?" Nishida said. "At several points, you diverged drastically from standard play. Robbing Kiyosumi's kan was the most dramatic example, of course."

"A sound grasp of the basics is necessary to win at mahjong," Yumi said firmly. "But I also believe that if you rigidly follow those rules without responding to the situation at the table, you won't do yourself justice as a player. Sometimes it is necessary to diverge from theory in order to exploit the tendencies and expectations of your opponents."

"Will Tsuruga be attending the Individuals? What are your expectations for this event?"

"Our main aim remains the Team Tournament. But we intend to use the Individuals to gain experience in national-level play, so we will be attending." Yumi closed her eyes. "And naturally, we will be attempting to win."

"As for the National Team Tournament, Shiraitodai has retained their lock on the championship ever since Teru Miyanaga appeared on the national scene. In light of such strong competition, what do you consider a realistic goal?"

"I could give a cautious answer, but our victory in the Regional Finals shows powerhouse teams are not invincible." Yumi narrowed her eyes. "I consider victory our overall goal, but for now, we intend to move forwards one step at a time."

"Thank you very much," Nishida said. "Could we take a few photos?"

"That's fine," Yumi said patiently.

"First, a shot of Miss Kajiki, I think," the photographer said. "Could I ask you girls to set up the tiles for a group shot of you playing after this?"

"Leave it to us," Kanbara said, looking amused by the whole process.

Yumi sighed when the two journalists finally left. "Well, that was tiring."

"Wahaha. It was all about you, wasn't it?" Kanbara grinned at the older girl. "Well, I can understand that. Momo isn't the type whose talents get noticed, after all."

"Judging the quality of players based on the results of two han-chan is ridiculous to begin with," Yumi said. "But if it's the media, they aren't interested in anything else. I suppose I should be glad we're getting any media attention at all."

"Indeed. It is flattering. But in the end, we're just a foot-note next to all those articles on the big name players and schools, even now." Kanbara smiled. "If you win the Individuals, that might change, of course."

"I tried to put on a confident front for them, but I don't fancy my odds. Koromo Amae and Kiyosumi's Captain are just too strong. If they're playing, it's going to be a battle for third." Yumi shrugged. "Well, we'll see what we can do, even so."

"True enough," Kanbara said. "Anyway, we've lost time with that. You three go home. Yumi and I have some business to deal with."

"Momo, Mutsuki, I want you to play at least five online games, time permitting. The Team Tournament was do-or-die mahjong, but the Individuals rewards consistent play over lucky flukes. Get back into the mindset you developed before the tournament began." Yumi frowned, folding her arms and glancing at Kaori. "Kaori, I want you to read and memorise the list of doubles. Especially the yakuman."

"Is there much point in memorising the yakuman?" Mutsuki asked. "That's not the kind of thing that happens twice, right?"

"It's just a precaution," Yumi said. "Consider it something worth knowing from a defensive angle, as well. Deal into a yakuman in the Individuals and you're probably finished right there."

"I see," Kaori said, nodding thoughtfully. "That makes sense."

Mutsuki looked dubious, but said nothing more.

The journalists stepped outside. The man frowned thoughtfully. "What did you think of them, Miss Nishida?"

"What's there to say," Nishida said cynically. "They have spirit, but it's a classic case of a one-player team. Yumi Kajiki will get headlines for the come-back win, but when all's said and done, she just lucked into a yakuman in South Four. I don't accept her free-form moves, either. As for the rest... the Vice-Captain exploited some sloppy play from Touka Ryumonbuchi, and their second player was a complete amateur who happened to win Four Closed Pons. It's a second rate team. Defeating Kazekoshi and Ryumonbuchi was just a coincidence."

"I wonder about that," the photographer said, frowning. "For a start, isn't 'sloppy play from Touka Ryumonbuchi' a contradiction in terms?"

"There's no other explanation, is there?" Nishida said.

"Maybe. But though that Vice-Captain did carelessly deal into Nodoka Haramura's hand, she still managed to gain points on that table," the photographer said. "I don't think you can just call that a coincidence. Haramura made no mistakes."

"I suppose so, though even an amateur can lead Nodoka Haramura, if it's only for two han-chan," Nishida said. "Two decent players, if that, won't cut it at the National level. I'm sure the Individual tournament will show that as well."

"Perhaps so," the photographer agreed. "I wonder if the Miyanaga we're watching will do well there."

"Who knows," Nishida said. "I think it will be Touka Ryumonbuchi, Nodoka Haramura and either Mihoko Fukuji or Kunihiro Hajime. Enough games are played to let that kind of stable, reliable playing style come into its own."

* * *

"Tsumo. Riichi, Strongly Closed, Three Colour Straight, Three Red Fives, Rinshan Kaihou." Saki deftly flipped over the Reverse Dora. "None. That's 4000/8000, please."

"Ouch, vicious," Mako Someya said, handing over her points.

"That's a turn-around victory," Saki said, smiling slightly. "Thank you for the game."

Nodoka Haramura sighed, closing her eyes. "Even after leading you all game, it ends like this."

"Sorry. But I have to try to win now," Saki said.

"Yes," Nodoka said, smiling slightly. "That's why I'm still a little happy, even when I lose to you like this."

The door to the club-room was pushed open as an older woman strode into the room. "Yo. How are you girls doing?"

"Fujita," Nodoka said, blinking in surprise.

"Save a seat, I'll school you girls in a minute," Fujita said, grinning. "Hisa, let me borrow your ear."

The club's president looked up from her book. "Sure, sure. Let's go out onto the balcony."

Mako watched them step out onto the roof, her expression puzzled. "I wonder what breeze blew her here, of all places."

"I don't know," Nodoka said. "It's clear she knows the president well, but I've no idea what context that comes from. Hisa hasn't played in the competitive scene since middle school, right?"

"Exactly," Mako said. "She's not like Koromo, someone whose played pro-amateur events and done well. But her level doesn't feel that short, for all that."

"I don't think it matters," Saki said shortly. "I'm just glad she's here. I need to play and beat more strong opponents, so I can go to the Nationals."

"That's right," Nodoka said. "Even if we lost the Team Tournament, there's still the Individuals."

Saki nodded. "I will keep my promise with you. And I will see my sister again." She closed her eyes. "I won't make any more mistakes. Whoever the enemy is and whatever they do, I'll defeat them and win."

Nodoka watched Saki nervously. "Well, don't overdo it, okay?"

"I'll be fine," Saki said. "So you do your best as well, Nodoka."

"Even if I do my best, I just get crushed by you two," Yuuki said, resting her head on her hands. "I'm tired."

"Well, if it helps, the first day of the Individuals is East-only rounds," Mako said, grinning.

Yuuki sat up instantly, her eyes wide. "Is that true?"

"Yes, it is," Nodoka said. "Didn't I mention that to you before?"

Yuuki laughed. "Then we're definitely going to the Nationals! I'm sorry, but you two will have to settle for second and third. The throne belongs to me!"

"Even though you were crumpled in defeat until just now," Mako muttered, sighing.

"Kyotaro, I'll be counting on you to bring my tacos," Yuuki said. "I'll pat you on the head if you do a good job."

"Yes, yes," he said, sighing. "I understand."

Fujita looked out over the horizon, grinning. "You have cute juniors. Even after your defeat in the Tournament, they're still playing mahjong with smiles."

"If we were crushed by one defeat, that just means we didn't have the spirit to win to begin with," Hisa said. "This team is better than that. It hurt to lose, but we'll come back strongly in the Individuals."

"So it would seem. I was worried Miyanaga would lose her drive," Fujita said. "She's the type of player who isn't used to losing when she's trying to win."

"If this was the first time, this might be a problem," Hisa said. "But thanks to a certain someone who defeated her before the tournament, she's still in good form."

"Well, I'll reinforce the point today," Fujita said. "Just leave it to me."

"I wonder if it'll go so well for you this time," Hisa said.

"There's only one way to find out." Fujita frowned. "Calling a kan to cut her off at the pass... Tsuruga's Kajiki hit on the same way to seal Miyanaga as the method I used in that game. Just like Koromo, even though they're incredible, you can't consider them complete as players."

"If this form is Saki when she's imperfect, I'm not sure if I want to see her full strength," Hisa said. "But you didn't just come here to play my team, did you?"

"No, I didn't. For a start, I'd like your opinion," Fujita said. "Who will win the Individuals?"

"Saki and Nodoka will place in the top three," Hisa said confidently. "Koromo's form will be hard to predict, since she's probably unused to being defeated. So the final placement is hard to predict. Kazekoshi's lead-off, Tsuruga's Captain, Jun Inoue or myself all have a strong chance."

"Modest as always," Fujita said, amused.

"But it's also possible somebody completely unknown will appear and place strongly," Hisa said. "Talking about this is interesting as an intellectual exercise, but the results are hugely in doubt."

"That's correct, of course. I'll keep my own opinions to myself, for that reason." Fujita frowned. "But if you're looking for a testing ground of true strength, I think the Individuals is still more reliable than the Team Tournament."

"I see." Hisa smiled. "So, what does that have to do with me?"

"I'm looking to put together a team of mahjong players for a certain purpose," Fujita said. "I won't say more than that right now. But I want you to be my eyes and ears for that purpose. Just watch for interesting players... it doesn't matter if they're the strongest right now, as long as they're willing to improve. It doesn't matter if they win, either. But they need to have that something, the spark of fire necessary to beat any opponent."

"That's a pretty unreasonable instruction," Hisa said. "But if you're asking, I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks. I'll probably be forced to cover the same old players, like Haramura and Koromo. I'll miss the really interesting games thanks to that. Those two are amazing enough, but their play-styles are set in stone. I've seen them already." Fujita turned around, grinning at Hisa. "In return, I'll tell you something good. If you're playing Ryumonbuchi Touka and she plays as she does normally, you were correct to leave her off your short-list of possible winners. Take her for everything she's worth."

"I intended to do that from the start," Hisa said. "Digital type players tend to struggle against me."

"Of course. But if she plays like she did when she won the East Double Limit, it's best to run for cover," Fujita said. "Just make it through without direct hits, that'll be all you can do."

"Will that really happen twice?" Hisa asked skeptically. "That kind of luck?"

"It's already happened twice," Fujita said. "The first time was at the Nationals last year. Just hope there's no third time."

"I didn't watch those matches. But if it's a warning from you, I'll take it to heart." Hisa frowned. "Even so, I won't hold back. We're going to the Nationals, even if it means taking a different route from my plan."

"Of course. Your team has the power and the skill for it." Fujita stretched her arms, turning back towards the club room. "So I'll play with you all a while."

"Thanks for your hard work," Hisa said, smirking. "I think I'll join in, too. Let's get the stars fired up."

* * *

"Ron. Closed Half Flush, Straight Through, Double South. Sorry, Kana. That's 12,000." Mihoko smiled softly. "It was a good game, everyone."

"I see." Kana rubbed the back of her head. "I'd definitely riichi to get the Double Limit, though."

"My preferred wait was a safe tile from you, so I was expecting it to come out if I kept quiet," Mihoko said. "And this way, I'd be able to break up my hand if I drew the 2 man, 5 man or 8 man."

Kana winced. "So you knew that much... you really are amazing, Captain."

"I'm not really amazing at all. It's just a matter of experience." Mihoko smiled radiantly. "Anyone can do this if they keep trying and they're willing to learn. So work hard, everyone."

"Yes, Captain," Kana said, in chorus with the other players.

"I'm going to check on the rest of the team," Mihoko said, standing up. "Miharu, take my place, please."

"Yes, Captain," Miharu said, nodding her head.

Kana sighed as Mihoko approached another table in the huge club room. "There she goes again. Even though she's our best hope for the Individuals... well, that's just the kind of person she is."

"Exactly. And Captain is strong, even without training as hard as we do," Seika Bundo said. "I can't imagine her losing to anyone."

"I know. But that's not good enough. We need to make up for our defeat in the Team Tournament." Kana grinned. "Let's make the top five a straight run of Kazekoshi players! That'd wipe out the headlines about Tsuruga's weird win!"

"That might be a little ambitious, even for us," Miharu said quietly. Sumiyo Fukabori grunted her agreement.

"There's no such thing as too ambitious," Kana said firmly. "Ambition never hurt anyone."

The door slammed open as Kazekoshi's coach strode in. "You four, get playing! I don't want to see the club reps slacking off and chatting when you could be practising."

"Yes," Kana said, hurriedly pressing the button to spin the dice. "We'll do so immediately."

"Mihoko, get over here." Coach Kubo stared imposingly at the teenager, her expression cold. "I need to discuss something in private. Come to my office."

"Yes, Coach," Mihoko said obediently. She followed Kubo out into the corridor. "What do you need with me?"

"We'll be discussing our plan of attack for the Individuals," Kubo said, pushing open the door to her office and slumping into her leather swivel chair. She placed her hand on a roughly scribbled piece of paper on her desk, sliding it across the table to where Mihoko was standing. "Those are the four players we're marking for caution."

Mihoko picked it up. "Koromo Amae, Saki Miyanaga, Jun Inoue, Hisa Takei... if it's players we're concerned about, I think we could stand to add Yumi Kajiki and Tsuruga's Vice-Captain to the list."

Kubo snorted. "Kajiki was just lucky, but putting that aside, Tsuruga's Vice-Captain? What was scary about her?"

"I've played Touka Ryumonbuchi before, so I know with certainty," Mihoko said. "She's not someone who would make that kind of mistake once, never mind twice. There's something strange about Tsuruga's Vice-Captain."

"Something strange? What the hell is that?" Kubo snapped. "Ryumonbuchi just screwed up, that's why she's off the list this year. I overestimated her."

"It's precisely because I don't understand that she's so dangerous," Mihoko replied. "In any case, what purpose does this list serve? All our members are aware of our strongest opponents."

"We're changing plans. Essentially, if any of the other representatives on our side are playing these opponents, they are to play pure defence, only attacking with hands they can bail on." Kubo closed her eyes. "Our current team is too weak, so we'll work around the most problematic enemies. The only one I can count on to take those four is you."

"With all due respect, I'm against this idea," Mihoko said. "I don't think it's a sensible strategy-"

"I didn't ask for your opinion," Kubo said shortly. "Tell the others."

"I refuse."

Kubo narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"Even though the loss at the Team Tournament hurt our morale, everyone has recovered," Mihoko said. "Kana and the others are planning to enter the Individuals playing to win! But if the Coach and the Captain tell them they're weaker than the opponents they most want to defeat, that they can never defeat those opponents... what do you think will happen? I won't willingly destroy their confidence like that." Mihoko opened both her eyes, glaring at the Coach. "Mahjong is a game of taking chances! If we're too afraid to take on the strongest opponents head-on, we deserve to lose!"

Coach Kubo gritted her teeth, apparently taken aback. "Shut up! Do you think I'll let you say that after the performance in the Team Tournament?"

"Those girls are reflecting on that loss much more than you are," Mihoko said, eyes blazing. "But unlike you, they aren't being dragged down by it. Please show some more faith in us. We will definitely reward you for that faith."

Kubo snorted. "Since you're my valued Captain, I'll take you at your word. But if you let me down, you won't get away with just an apology. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Mihoko said, her expression firm. "That won't be necessary. Kazekoshi will go the Nationals."

* * *

"Ron. Riichi, Seven Pairs, Dora 2." Koromo grinned as she took the Dora and placed it to one side, exposing the Reverse Dora. "Reverse Dora 2. 12,000."

Touka's expression shifted as she leaned forwards, studying Koromo's hand. "Kindly explain this hand, Koromo! Five of your pairs are Terminals and Honours, and you've discarded the third tile of several of them, including the Dora. Wouldn't you normally win by tsumo on Toi-Toi, Pure All Ends, Red, White, Dora 3 and perhaps even Three Closed Pons? 16,000 points or 24,000 points!"

"I wanted to try a Seven Pairs hand, though," Koromo said patiently. "Koromo wins huge Toi-Toi hands all the time, but I've almost never won with Seven Pairs. Tsuruga won through my control with a hand like this, so I wanted to try it."

"I can't accept that," Touka said. "Playing meekly like this is unlike you, Koromo."

"Now, now," Hajime said cheerfully. "It looks like Koromo is having fun playing like this, so let's just leave this at that."

"Really?" Touka said, glancing at Koromo. "You're having fun playing mahjong with us?"

Koromo nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Winning with this kind of hand is fun, Touka."

Touka sniffed, lips forming a slight smile. "Then I'll overlook it, this one time. As long as you're satisfied."

"In any case, aren't you just bitter because you dealt in?" Jun said, smirking. "Though since you're Dealer, you may well have paid 12,000 in the end anyway."

"Normally, I would have defended just fine against that hand," Touka said. "But Koromo never goes for Seven Pairs, so this was outside my expectations!"

"Yes, yes," Jun said. "And isn't that a fine reason for her to win with it?"

"Hmm. So by playing with this kind of variation, even if it's worth less points, it will take our strongest opponents off-guard," Touka said thoughtfully. "To think things through to that extent... I'd expect no less from my cousin, Koromo."

"Koromo didn't think anything of the sort, though," Koromo said, sticking her tongue out at Touka and grinning.

"I see." Touka frowned. "Well, I suppose I still don't mind, after all."

There was a polite knock at the door. "Miss Ryumonbuchi?"

"Enter, Hagiyoshi," Touka said, her tone dignified.

The butler entered, bowing. "Miss Ryumonbuchi, some individuals from the magazine Weekly Mahjong Today request your attention."

Touka sniffed. "Tell them Ryumonbuchi won't be taking any interviews until the Individual Tournament in this prefecture is concluded."

"As you command." Hagiyoshi bowed again, turning and leaving.

Hajime blinked. "Touka, are you feeling ill?"

"What?" Touka said, snorting. "I'm just fine, thank you very much."

"That's good. It's just... I've never known you to pass up a chance to talk to the media," Hajime said. "I was a little worried."

Touka sniffed. "I already know the kind of things they'd ask us. About how we feel about our defeat, and so on. I have no intention of permitting such a negative interview to be written about our team."

"Though even if we don't give an interview, they'll probably write an article with that kind of negative spin to it anyway," Jun said. "After last year, there are pleanty of people glad to see us fail."

"We'll wipe that shame away at the Individuals," Touka said. "We'll show our rivals that Ryumonbuchi are still a powerhouse team."

"Well, don't get too worked up about it," Jun said calmly. "Just leave it to me. I'll place in the top three."

"We're strong players," Tomoki said shortly, still typing on her laptop.

"Yes. I'll do my best as well, Touka. So smile for us." Hajime glanced sidelong at Touka. "It's not right if you're not smiling confidently."

Touka closed her eyes, smiling. "I suppose so. I'll admit my confidence took a blow after our defeat, but I really chose my companions wisely, after all."

Hajime put her hand on Touka's shoulder. "Exactly. And we have Koromo, right?"

"Well, there are a few players Koromo is interested in," Koromo said. "But I'll certainly massacre the other peons without difficulty."

"Of course," Touka said. "I won't lose to you all, of course. This will be the time of the final showdown between Nodoka Haramura and I! I'll prove who the true idol is, once and for all!"

"Haramura aside, I'm interested in Kajiki," Jun said. She grinned. "That style of play isn't bad at all. I'd have fun breaking her down and seeing what she'd try to keep up with me. And of course, I still need to get my revenge against Kazekoshi's Fukuji."

"Kajiki is Koromo's prey," Koromo said, pouting. "She promised to play me again. And Kiyosumi's Rinshan user, as well."

"I'll leave that to you," Hajime said. "She's too much for me to handle, I think. But I'll take on Kiyosumi's President any time. I was positive on the table with her, but I can't be happy with that indirect method of getting by. I want to defeat her cleanly next time."

"Of course, I wish to defeat Tsuruga's second player," Tomoki said quietly. "No more beginner's luck."

"That's the spirit," Touka said, her grin widening. "And of course, my one and only rival remains Nodoka. Once again, we'll show everyone our true strength!"

Hajime watched Touka with a calm expression, her hands clasped together. Her chains moved slightly as she twisted her hands. "Leave it to us. We'll definitely make you smile."

* * *

"It was amazing, wasn't it?" Kaori said cheerfully. "Yumi being interviewed by a mahjong magazine."

Mutsuki nodded in agreement. "It's great that people recognise how strong she is as a player. But there's no interest in the rest of us, after all."

"That can't be helped," Kaori said. "It'd be strange if an improvised club like ours had that many strong players."

"I suppose so. But it's still painful. Not because I want to be interviewed... but I want to be stronger." Mutsuki frowned. "It feels like I'm just a burden for Yumi and Momo, after all. Even if Kanbara and Yumi say otherwise, that's how it seems to me. All I can do is make up the numbers."

"That's not true at all," Kaori said, waving her hands. "From my perspective, you're also really amazing."

"I'm just normal, though," Mutsuki said. "A player you could find anywhere."

"We count on you, though," Momo said quietly. "We can trust you as the lead-off."

Mutsuki didn't reply. Momo wasn't sure if she'd heard or not.

"That's not true, either," Kaori said. "I don't really know anything about mahjong, even now. But you're your own person. And it's strange to get depressed after one or two games. Even someone like Yumi can have far longer losing streaks than that, right?"

"You're right," Mutsuki admitted. She sighed. "I need to pull myself together, so I don't let everyone else down."

Kaori nodded. "In a small club like this, everyone is irreplaceable. I think that's a nice feeling."

Mutsuki nodded. "True. Okay, I'll do my very best at the Individuals."

"Right. Me too." Kaori sighed. "It will be a good chance to try and learn the rules."

"I'll do my best as well," Momo said quietly. "Yumi is still watching me. So I won't lose."


	3. Chapter 3

**Stealing the Wind 3**

Only Yumi and Kanbara were left in the club room. Kanbara leaned casually against the mahjong table, waiting patiently while Yumi sorted through her bag, pulling out a folder and leafing through it. Finally, she passed a piece of paper to Kanbara. "In any case, this is the general outline for my proposal. It's probably a little optimistic to expect our defeated rivals to be commit to this kind of program, but there's no harm in asking. If they make it through the Individuals, they may see it as a training opportunity, at least."

"I see." Kanbara studied it, nodding. "Considering our victory, I may barely be able to swing this with the school."

Yumi checked her watch. "Five minutes. Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?"

"No, it's fine," Kanbara said. "This is my responsibility as President. I impose everything else on you, but I'll do this on my own."

"I see. If that's how you feel, then I won't get in your way." Yumi frowned. "I'll wait for you. I have more work to do on our training program."

"No, you should go home," Kanbara said. "I need you to be sharp for the Individuals. Play mahjong or relax, it's your choice."

Yumi nodded. "Very well. I'll leave everything here to you. Good luck."

Kanbara nodded again, grinning. "Wahaha. When you say that, I feel like our club president after all. Leave it to me, leave it to me."

She waved good-bye to Yumi and headed up the corridor, waiting outside an imposing door. After a few minutes, it opened, two students stepping outside. A narrow-faced, tall girl with a sharp nose and glasses held the door open behind them, glaring at Kanbara. "Come in. We've been waiting."

"Good to see you, President Kaneko," Kanbara said cheerfully.

Kaneko snorted, turning away and returning to her chair on the left side of the room. She sorted through the papers in front of her. On the right side, a male teacher watched nervously, while in front a woman in a black suit watched Kanbara over her long fingers, with her palms pressed together. Kanbara settled into a chair placed into the middle, placing her hands on her knees and smiling despite her tense expression. "Thanks for seeing me. I appreciate it."

"We don't have much time, so please make this quick," Kaneko said sharply.

Kanbara nodded. "Following our victory in the prefectural Team Tournament, we're proposing a training camp for the mahjong club to fully prepare ourselves for the National Tournament. We'll be inviting the other finalists for several weeks of intensive practise. Our requests in time off and money are here." She stood, handing the sheet to the woman in the middle.

The Principal frowned as she read it. "This is quite an ambitious request."

Kanbara nodded again, sitting down. "We'll be competing against power-house schools. I think this proposal will allow the team to improve greatly."

"I'll acknowledge your achievements on a shoe-string before now, but I'm not sure if I'm willing to commit these kind of resources to the mahjong society," the woman said. "There's no point in trying to compete with Kazekoshi."

"I think Ryumonbuchi's win last year and our win this year proves that's not true any more," Kanbara said.

"Ryumonbuchi is a separate case. Our budgets are too different, and there's definitely nepotism at work there," Kaneko said. "Frankly, I don't think we should waste any of our valuable budget on this."

"I see." The woman passed the sheet to Kaneko. "I'd welcome your opinion on the specifics."

Kaneko stared at the sheet for a few moments before snorting. "Ridiculous. Don't talk about this as if it's your own work. Yumi drafted this, didn't she?"

"You're right," Kanbara said. "Yumi is extremely reliable. As you can see, the proposal is solid."

"I'll speak frankly," Kaneko said, putting the sheet of paper down. "This isn't a matter of amount. I don't see any reason why we should spend any money on your tiny club at all. You barely scraped together the five members necessary to enter the Tournament. Speaking as the Student Council President, I can't say this is something that interests the student body."

"I'm not sure about that," the man on the right said. "There has been some general interest in their victory. I also personally believe that as educators, we have a responsibility to reward the aspirations and achievements of our students. This isn't a field our school has traditionally specialised in, but I think that's all the more reason to support these budding efforts now."

"It would be disproportionate to commit this level of resources," Kaneko said sharply. "More importantly than that, I don't think our mahjong club has the ability to achieve anything meaningful at the Nationals, no matter how hard they practise."

"Miss Kaneko, that's a little uncalled for," the Principal said calmly.

"I apologise," Kaneko said, closing her eyes briefly. "But I did a little research before this meeting. A handful of schools retain a monopoly on seeding and success in the National Tournament. In recent years, only Ryumonbuchi has broken into that elite group, but they scouted players from across the country to put their team together. The other elite schools have large, prestigious mahjong clubs and dedicate significant resources to attracting and training the best players. It's not a world we can compete with, and it's not a world we have any part in."

"I don't think it's necessary for our club to win to justify the effort," the male teacher said. "And besides, they have already defeated that same Ryumonbuchi. By your own logic, doesn't that make them a competitive team?"

"As you would know, Mr Kanai, any victory that relies on winning two yakuman in ten han-chan can only be considered a fluke," Kaneko said.

"That's belittling the efforts of my friends," Kanbara said, frowning. "Mahjong is a game of luck and skill. We pulled through because we have both."

"Though you didn't achieve anything useful yourself," Kaneko said, smirking.

"Miss Kaneko," the woman said sharply. "That's enough."

"I'm sorry." Kaneko placed the paper aside. "To conclude, as Student Council President I suggest we reject this request. The club's tiny size and recruitment problems proves it is not of general interest to the student body. Nor do I believe there will be any merit for the school if we support their efforts. I doubt they will do well and we are not, and have never been, a mahjong school. I suggest the Mahjong Club prepares itself for the competition with their own time and resources. I wish them the very best of luck."

"I see." The woman frowned. "What do you think, Mr Kanai?"

"I must respectfully disagree with President Kaneko. Until now, these girls have done very well for themselves with very limited resources. Their victory demonstrates they are serious about this, and are able as well. I think we should respect that by supporting them directly." He frowned. "Further, I believe this will benefit the school. The prestige of winning the Prefectural Tournament alone is considerable. As we know, the club has already attracted attention from specialist media. A strong performance at the Nationals will attract further interest. I believe that in a few years time, the Tsuruga Mahjong Society will be far larger and more effective than it is now, thanks to the efforts of these girls."

The woman nodded. "Very well. I will consider the proposal in depth. It will be a few days before I come to a final decision."

Kanbara grinned. "Before I leave, may I say something?"

"Go ahead," the woman said.

"It's true our club is small. But we are dedicated. Further, it seems a large part of President Kaneko's complaints rests on the fact that she considers our members to be weak players." Kanbara glanced at Kaneko, grinning. "What if we prove you wrong?"

"What do you mean?" Kaneko asked.

"In a few days is the Individual Tournament for this prefecture," Kanbara said. "If one of us places in the top three and goes to the Nationals, you'll have to admit we aren't weak."

"Don't make me laugh. You're just planning on coasting using Yumi's talents." Kaneko smiled. "But a team can't be made of one strong player alone. If three of your members place in the top ten, including one in the top three, then I'll retract my statement."

"That's unreasonable," Mr Kanai said. "Even powerhouse teams like Kazekoshi and Ryumonbuchi would struggle to meet that condition."

"Tsuruga's Mahjong Club beat both those schools, as you pointed out," Kaneko said. "What do you say, Kanbara?"

"I accept," Kanbara said.

Kaneko blinked, looking surprised. "I see. I'll hold you to that."

"I think that's all." The woman stood. "Thank you. I'll consider this."

"Thank you very much," Kanbara said. She turned and left, her expression thoughtful.

"Wait a second," Kaneko said, following Kanbara down the corridor. "I have one more thing to say to you."

Kanbara stopped, smiling slightly. "Yes?"

"I've already expressed my opposition to this, but if you do me a favour, I'll change my tone and try to persuade the Principle to help you guys," Kaneko said coolly, walking alongside Kanbara. "But in return, I want Yumi back on the Student Council. Just Fridays is fine. The rest of the time, she can mess around playing mahjong with you all to her heart's content."

"You're still a cunning one," Kanbara said, glancing at the dark-haired girl. "And you're still hung up about Yumi, after all."

"It's not a matter of being hung up," Kaneko said, pushing her glasses up her nose. "It just pains me to watch her talents being squandered. The rest of the Student Council are a lazy bunch, but Yumi can be relied on."

Kanbara sighed. "You're not being honest at all. In any case, I refuse." She grinned. "Yumi belongs to us now. I'm not giving her back, even if you beg. And she won't come back, even if you ask. Give it up."

Kaneko snorted. "From my perspective, I'm being generous. But you've always been a stubborn idiot. I don't know much about mahjong, but I know enough to be sure that accepting my conditions for the Individuals was beyond foolish of you."

"It will be tough, but our chances aren't zero," Kanbara said, walking down the stairs. "Just wait and watch. We're used to being underestimated, after all."

"I wonder. Yumi is one thing, but your blonde friend is an amateur and you and that second year aren't much, either." Kaneko frowned, her brow wrinkling in thought. "Who is your fifth player, again?"

Kanbara grinned. "Well, just wait and see. Even if you look down on me, the Yumi you value so highly thinks the same way as I do." Kanbara stopped by her shoe locker, beginning to change shoes.

"Yumi is talented," Kaneko said, changing her own shoes. "But she tends to overestimate other people as a result of that. I did my best to keep her grounded when we were working together before. If you can't even do that much, you really are useless."

"Looks like we can't agree on anything, no matter what," Kanbara said. "I'm an idiot, but it depresses me that smart people like you can also be idiots."

Kaneko snorted. "If you say so. If you change your mind, tell me. Maybe you'll see sense when your head cools a little."

Kanbara smiled calmly as she stepped outside.

"Finally... ah, Namiko. It's been a while." Yumi leaned against a wall, her arms folded. "How did it go?"

"It's hard to say," Kanbara said amicably. "Mr Kanai came through for us, but President Kaneko here was against."

"I see. Well, that's not impossible, since we're asking for so much," Yumi said. "But I hope you'll reconsider, Namiko."

"I need to think of the interests of the wider student body," Kaneko said. She pushed her glasses up her nose, looking flustered. "And it's the Principle's decision in the end."

"But Kaneko says she'll acknowledge us if we have three places in the top ten and and one in the top three at the Individuals," Kanbara said, stopping and looking at Yumi. "What do you think? Pretty harsh conditions, right?"

"That's certainly difficult," Yumi said. "But we'll do something about it."

"See? Yumi agrees with me," Kanbara said cheerfully.

"I'm going home," Kaneko said haughtily. "I'm sure you'll hear from the Principle over the next few days."

"Thanks for your hard work." Yumi stood straight, watching as Kaneko walked away. "I guess she still hates me, after all."

"I don't think she hates you," Kanbara said. "She still wants you to participate in the Student Council, for a start."

"I see. Somehow, that's more upsetting than her hating me." Yumi sighed. "I don't have the time, not with the mahjong club like this. It's not as if it is personal."

"In any case, what are you doing here?" Kanbara asked. "Didn't you say you were going home?"

"I was still anxious about the outcome of discussions, so I decided to wait for you." Yumi sighed. "An official maybe, is it? In a sense, that's worse than a refusal, since I can't go ahead with any kind of plan until I've heard back from the Principle."

"At least we weren't rejected out of hand. After a year and a half of adversity, I'm glad we've even made it that far." Kanbara sighed. "But even if I went along with Kaneko out of bravado, those conditions are too much."

"I'll do something about the top three," Yumi said confidently. "And you should aim for a top ten place. But frankly, I don't think we should tell the others about this."

"I agree," Kanbara said. "Those three will do their best as it is. Putting them under more pressure is only going to put them off their game."

"Exactly. In any case, Momo stands a good chance of making the top ten." Yumi sighed. "I just wish the the first day wasn't East-only."

"Our Princess's ability is all but sealed," Kanbara agreed. "But even without that, Momo is a strong player."

"Mm." Yumi narrowed her eyes. "You know, I'm a little relieved."

"Relieved?" Kanbara said, blinking in surprise.

"I lost too much tension after our win," Yumi said. "But with this kind of pressure on me, it feels like I'll be able to return to the sharpness I felt at the Team Tournament."

"Wahahaha. I see, that's a great help." Kanbara smiled. "I wish I could feel the same way. In any case, let's go home."

"Right." Yumi smiled as they began to walk towards the school gates. "Thanks for your hard work."

"Heh. Even though I still made you worry," Kanbara said. "I won't do that at the Individuals. All you need to think about is the top three. Leave the rest to us."

"The top three will be pleanty to think about, though," Yumi said.

"Wahaha. Too true." Kanbara put her hands behind her head, looking up at the sky. "But we'll manage somehow."


	4. Chapter 4

**Stealing the Wind: Part 4**

I've been leaving this for too long, so here's a double update.

* * *

The lobby of the tournament building was packed full of students, nervously waiting for the competition to begin. Yumi craned her neck, looking up at the electronic displays. "So those are our tables... I don't recognise any of the names. But don't let your guard down. There may be any number of strong players we don't know."

"We'll be careful," Kanbara said.

"In any case, these rapid-fire East only matches are going to be a test of endurance," Yumi said, glancing at the other players. "Don't get dispirited just because one or two losses. These games are so short it's easy for weaker players to defeat stronger ones. But over time, that will even out, and the consecutive games will cut away the element of random chance. The Team Tournament notwithstanding, this is the best chance for the five of us to show our own strength. Win or lose, let's all play mahjong we won't regret."

"I will," Mutsuki said.

"I'll do my best," Kaori said. "Though I don't think I have any strength to show yet."

"Wahaha. Just have fun out there," Kanbara said cheerfully. "That's the important thing."

"I'll be fine," Momo said quietly, clutching Yumi's sleeve. "I'll win for you, so win for me."

Yumi smiled. "Leave it to me."

* * *

Yumi opened her eyes as the dice spun, noticing the other three players glancing right at her. _It looks like they're aiming for me after seeing our victory in the Team Tournament. East and West aside, the problem is South. Susobana High School's lead-off. Judging by her play against Mutsuki in the Team Tournament, her skills are above average. _Yumi narrowed her eyes as she took her first four tiles. _It doesn't matter, though. I'll show you why there's no such thing as three on one at a mahjong table._

By the sixth go-around, Yumi slammed a West against the top of her hand, frowning. _Tenpai. But this trash hand is Reach only right now. Normally I'd discard this closed pon of West and aim for something a little better, but the Dora South has gone twice already, and everyone's discards are normal. This low-point hand might be a good chance to test the waters. _She picked up the 2-pin, sliding it sideways into her discards. "Reach." She cleanly placed a thousand points at the top of her discards.

Susobana's lead-off grimaced as she drew a live tile. _This hand has a nice shape for Endless, Pointless, Reach. But it's still two shan-ten. It can't be helped. I'll play around her here. _She dealt a two-pin from her hand.

Yumi frowned as the game developed. _East is on tilt, while West's discards are really erratic. It's hard to tell if she's bailed or not. Naturally, South is different. Her defence is water-tight. _

East frowned at her draw, sliding it into her hand and pulling a 2-sou out. "Reach!"

"Ron." Yumi pushed her hand open with one motion. "Reach only." She pulled apart the dead wall, flipping over the reverse Dora. "1000."

Susobana's lead-off frowned, toying with the corners of her brown hair irritably. _I knew her play was erratic, even in the game where she crushed Akari. But is she just a lucky idiot?_

Three hands later, Susobana's lead-off pushed open her hand, her expression still sharp. "Ron. Reach, Pointless, Dora 1, Red Five Pin... no Reverse Dora. 7700." She took the points from one of the other players. _Coming into the_ _last hand, that puts me on 38,700. Tsuruga is second on 26,000. If the other two were better at defensive play, I might have had the time to tsumo and take points from her._

Yumi frowned as she took her new tiles. _My starting hands and draws have been the worst. But I'm dealer now. I need to make something happen with this hand. _Her eyes gleamed as she opened the first four tiles, noticing the two 6-pin. _Dora 2. Finally, a chance._

On the tenth go-around, Yumi finally got her tenpai. _Reach, Pointless, Dora 2, waiting for 5 or 8 man. The problem is whether this 9-man will pass the current South's Reach, since her discards have suggested an end hand since the start. She's discarded the 6-man, and called Reach on the 8-man. _Yumi's eyes flickered briefly over the discards across the rest of the table. _No, this is a chance. I'll take it. _Yumi discarded the 6-man sideways. "Reach."

Susobana's lead-off frowned as it came to her turn. _Now her? I wanted to win with this hand, but now I'll have to bail. But I don't have safe tiles from both of them at once. Should I prioritise Tsuruga, since her dealer hand is strong enough to justify the second riichi? _She bit her lip, studying the discards. _No, I can see a way. That was the last 6-man, so that riichi tile didn't come from 667man. My 8 man pair has gone twice before, as well. It will pass! _

Yumi frowned slightly as the 8-man hit the table. "Ron." She pushed her hand open. "Riichi, One Shot, Dora 2... no Reverse Dora. 11,600."

Susobana's eyes widened in shock. _In the face of an opposing Reach, she passed up the two-sided wait and Pointless to wait on the 8-man with 7 and 9? I can't understand it! How could she wait on that tile?_

"Thanks for the game," Yumi said, taking the point sticks her opponent limply offered her. "It was a pleasure." She stood abruptly, turning and leaving the room. _First win. I'm only just getting started._

_

* * *

_"That was our fifth hand replay, an unusual win from Tsuruga Academy's Captain, Yumi Kajiki," the male commentator remarked. "Of course, there's been some interest in Yumi Kajiki since her strong performance in the Team Tournament. What do you think, Miss Fujita?"

"It's not a move that can be dismissed as amateurish, even if you could call it erratic," the pro said, frowning. "An amateur would take the two-sided wait every time, and deal into the Dirty All Ends Reach hand. But I don't think it was purely defensive, either."

"If you don't mind me saying so, that hand reminded me of your own play," the male commentator said.

"The come-back win? Well, I'll admit she has a good sense for it," Fujita said. "But I would have delayed the Reach there and gone for a hand that could settle things in one hit without relying on one-shot. Though as she was East, there was no necessity to do that. It's ultimately a matter of personal preference."

"I see. Regardless, a fascinating unorthodox win. It makes me anticipate what else she might show us today and tomorrow." The commentator tapped a button on the display in front of him, moving onto the next hand. "And a fierce win continues to blow in Room Sixteen. Kiyosumi's Captain, Saki Miyanaga, wraps up her own game with yet another Rinshan Kaihou win! Truly uncanny! Her fifty-six thousand point win sees her break away from the pack as the first games end."

"Full power right from the start, then," Fujita said thoughtfully. "I take back my earlier doubts about her. Koromo Amae will have serious competition for the top place, if that girl is on top form."

"Speaking of Ryumonbuchi's Captain, we have another unusual development in Room Twenty-Three," the announcer said, clicking on again. "It seems that even though Koromo Amae is already leading her table by forty-four thousand three hundred points, she has refused to pass the dealership in East Four and is playing a Bonus Hand. Her confidence is frightening."

"Koromo did that last year, as well," Fujita recalled. "It required a ruling from the referees to determine the legality of it, since it can slow down the tournament with her consecutive wins." Fujita smiled. "I like it, though. Opponents who can't take advantage of that recklessness of hers deserve to be taken for everything they're worth. Kazekoshi's Mihoko Fukuji pulled off a comeback against Koromo last year by taking advantage of it, for a start."

"A rematch between those players is among the most anticipated of this tournament," the announcer said. "As I recall, many were disappointed Fukuji didn't take the Captain's seat in the Team Tournament for that reason." He clicked through games again. "The results of the first games continue to flood in. Just like last year, the Team Tournament finalists are placing very strongly indeed. Hisa Takei, Nodoka Haramura, Yuki Kataoka, Touka Ryumonbuchi, Jun Inoue, Kana Ikeda, Mihoko Fukuji... these familiar names once more demonstrate their power."

"It's to be expected," Fujita said. "However talented you are, it's hard to develop as a player without regularly crossing swords with powerful team-mates. This is why I find players like Yumi Kajiki a little unusual."

"It appears the first yakuman of the tournament has been won in Room Thirteen," the announcer said. "We are replaying the hand in question now. It would appear that Tsuruga's Kaori Senoo achieved a comeback victory with a tsumo on Three Big Dragons." He frowned. "If I recall, Senoo also won a yakuman hand in the Team Finals. It's a remarkable coincidence."

"I hope that one case is just a coincidence," Fujita said. "It's not as if she's Teru Miyanaga." She narrowed her eyes as she scrolled down her list of results. "But it looks like I'll have to take my words back one more time. With Kaori Senoo's win, Tsuruga Academy has five wins in five games."

"A perfect start," the commentator noted. "But that kind of result, too, can only be considered a coincidence."

"Of course. Even Seeded National Teams would need luck to do the same thing." Fujita narrowed her eyes. "But at the same time, it's possible that their president's strength wasn't cultivated in isolation, after all."

"Their president..." he frowned. "Yumi Kajiki is generally considered a stronger player than Satomi Kanbara, though."

"Oh." Fujita blinked, coughing. "That's just a judgement based on a few han-chan in the Team Tournament, though. As Kanbara is the president, it wouldn't be surprising if the opposite was true..."

"It's true that Tsuruga's Captain is often mistaken for their president," the male announcer said diplomatically. "But as they are a largely unknown team, their true strength remains uncertain. Of course, Kiyosumi is the same."

"Quite." Fujita narrowed her eyes. "I'm sure this tournament will be much more interesting than last year's one on one battle between Kazekoshi and Ryumonbuchi."

* * *

In the final game of the morning, Momo sat quietly in her seat, glancing briefly to check the scores. _East Four. The point leader is on 32,100, I'm on 29,500. It's essentially anyone's game. _Momo smiled. _I feel like I'll be the one to win, though. _She opened her starting hand, swiftly sorting her tiles. _Even when I play mahjong, I don't stand out very much. There's no time for me to disappear in these East-only games. Even so, I can still win. But my normal play-style isn't very exciting. I collect small wins, and minimise my losses. Every so often, I'll have a particularly good or a particularly bad game. Unlike Yumi, I don't tend to win in a flashy way. It's not the kind of play-style that attracts attention. _

Momo's eyes darted sideways as the player to her left discarded a red five pin. "Chi." She slid the tiles home in her corner of the table, discarding a 7-pin. _But that's fine. There's someone who regards my play with expectation, someone who is interested in my boring mahjong. In a boring way, I'll get results, and come running to her side with a smile on my face. _Momo grinned as another player discarded a 3-man. "Ron. Endless, Three Colour Straight, Three Red Fives. 8000."

Momo stood and left the table, stretching her arms and grinning. _That's the last of the morning games. I should be strongly positive so far. I just need to make it through to tomorrow, then I'll really take off. _She blinked as she stepped outside, noticing Yumi waiting by the door. "Yumi!" Momo ran forwards, tugging on her sleeve. "I won."

Yumi blinked, her eyes focusing on Momo's face. "I see. That's good. I managed to put someone under 0, so I had the time to stop by."

Momo giggled. "You're on fine form, then."

"Yes. Though that particular victory was mostly luck. Two dealer limit direct hits will go a long way." Yumi smiled. "Let's meet the others and have lunch."

"Sure." Momo stayed close to Yumi as they threaded their way through the corridor, passing the other players in the tournament. "By my count, I'm +115 or thereabouts."

"That's a strong start," Yumi said. "If you can do that well in East-only games, there should be no problem in the East-South games to come tomorrow."

"That's my plan," Momo said, smiling. "I'll keep winning. How about you? What's your rate?"

"I'm +168," Yumi said. "So far so good. I'm feeling sharp, and luck's in my favour as well. But we're at an early stage right now. If possible, I'd like it if we could avoid big name games this afternoon, and continue to harvest points from the other players."

"That would be good," Momo said. "I want to be playing East-South games before I take on the other finalists."

"Mm. But it's advantageous to the rest of us, as well." Yumi settled onto a bench in a lobby, looking up at the scoreboards. Players from a variety of different schools continued to pour into the lobby, craning their necks to see the rankings. "Let's see... I'm sixth, you're twelfth. Kanbara is sixteenth, Mutsuki twenty-third... Kaori is twenty-ninth." She blinked. "I didn't expect Kaori would be doing that well."

"She has good luck," Momo said.

"So it would seem." Yumi looked up as Kanbara, Mutsuki and Kaori approached. "Ah, here you all are. Everyone looks like they're doing well. Let's go forwards at this pace."

"Wahaha." Kanbara glanced up at the scoreboard. "Looks like I'll have to pick up the pace. But we brought food." She tossed Yumi a can of coke. "Let's relax for a while."

Yumi caught it, nodding. "Yes. Mental exhaustion is a serious problem in these kind of extended events. But Kaori, you're doing well to be on +13."

"I'm positive?" Kaori said, looking surprised. "I've been losing so much, though."

"Well, plainly you've also been winning a fair amount," Kanbara said, patting her on the back. "I'm impressed."

"Maybe it was the yakuman hands," Kaori said thoughtfully. "I guess they're worth a lot, after all."

Yumi stared at Kaori in shock. "Yakuman? You won a yakuman hand?"

"I won two," Kaori said proudly. "The one with all the dragons in it, and 13 Orphans."

Yumi clapped her hand against her forehead, staring at the younger girl. "You won two yakuman hands in eight han-chan? Something like that can happen?"

"Is that really so amazing?" Kaori said. "The Team Tournament saw three yakuman in ten han-chan, right?"

Yumi frowned. "Don't take that series of games as your baseline for usual. Kana Ikeda and I were both really lucky, as of course were you... but if we're considering the games you've played alone, you've won three yakuman in ten han-chan. That's absurd."

"Wahaha. Well, from another perspective, even after winning 64,000 points, Kaori still gets whittled down to +13," Kanbara said. "You still have a way to go, Kaori."

"Exactly," Kaori said, frowning. "If I can't do better even after that much luck, I'm not very good. I wish you'd let me play before today."

"No, the plan where I refused to let you play is a great success," Yumi said firmly. "Just keep playing as you are right now, and try various things out. This is an important chance for you to learn. I want you to approach this from that perspective. Of course, try to win as well. But feel free to experiment."

"Thanks," Kaori said. "I'll try."

"In any case, isn't Kiyosumi on a roll?" Kanbara said, looking up at the scoreboard again. "Miyanaga is their Captain, right? First place with +221, and from what I remember, Yuuki Kataoka is their first player. Second with +182 isn't anything to sneeze at."

"I played against Kataoka in the Team Tournament, and she didn't seem like anything special," Mutsuki said thoughtfully. "She just won a single big hand. Jun Inoue and Mihoko Fukuji were much more imposing."

"If it's just a fluke, I doubt it will last. On the other hand, Koromo Amae's Third Place with +177 is a weaker performance than I'd expect from her. Especially in comparison to Miyanaga." Yumi frowned. "Is she off her game, I wonder?"

"On what planet is third place and +177 the scores of someone off their game?" Kanbara asked wryly.

"I suppose so," Yumi said. "It's just a little strange."

Momo tugged Yumi's arm. "Yumi, isn't that Kiyosumi's Captain?"

Yumi frowned, looking up. "So it would seem."

"What is she doing?" Kanbara mused, watching as Saki looked around nervously, with her hands held closed to her chest.

Yumi frowned, standing up. "What's wrong? Are you looking for something?"

Saki blinked, stepping backwards. "Ah. I'm sorry. Do you know the way to the Third Break room?"

"If I recall correctly, it's up the corridor in front of you, the fourth room on the left," Yumi said, looking slightly bemused. _This is Kiyosumi's Rinshan demon? Compared to her presence in the Team Tournament, she's like a different person._

"Thank you," Saki said, before looking up and pausing.

"Ah! It's the Rinshan Kaihou user, and Tsuruga!" Koromo ran forwards, waving enthusiastically. Her floppy red bunny ears bounced as she moved. "Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon," Yumi said reflexively.

"This is becoming something alarming," Kanbara said, gazing warily at the other Ryumonbuchi players.

"Good afternoon to you all," Touka said coolly, shaking out her blonde hair and glaring at the other schools. "Koromo, we still need to eat lunch. As, I'm sure, do our rivals. Perhaps this can wait for another time."

"I'm greeting the players I'll be opposing in this tournament," Koromo said, folding her arms and smiling. "They promised that we would play together again, so fate will ensure our destined clash on this fine day."

"The player distributions for the afternoon session of play are now being displayed," a female voice stated, echoing from the speakers attached to the walls. "Please be at your allotted starting room by 2:10."

Koromo's smile widened into a wolfish grin as she looked across at Saki. "Look, if you must. I have no need to look."

Yumi ran her eyes down the board, blinking in surprise. "Room 8, 2:10... Saki Miyanaga and Koromo Amae."

"Worry about yourself," Jun said, grinning as she looked up at the boards. "It looks like you'll be my opponent for the 3:00 game."

"I see," Yumi said, narrowing her eyes. "That should prove to be interesting."

"And it looks like I'll be facing Ryumonbuchi's Centre player again," Kanbara said, sighing. "Yumi and I wanted a peaceful afternoon, and all."

"Finally. Finally, I will show the world once and for all who the true idol is!" Touka said, pointing to the board and beginning to laugh. "5:30... prepare yourself, Nodoka Haramura!"

"There she goes again," Hajime said, cocking her head. "I'm very sorry. Touka and Koromo tend to get overly excited about mahjong."

"No, don't worry about it," Yumi said politely.

"I'll leave here," Saki said, smiling faintly. "I need to return to my team. But I won't lose this afternoon. I'll only be able to see my sister if I go to the Nationals." She walked past Koromo, eyes straight ahead. "So I'll crush anyone who gets in my way."

"Try if you will," Koromo said. "That is the most fun kind of game, after all."

Yumi bit her lip, watching stiffly as Saki walked out of sight. _And in an instant, she's back to form. But Koromo's prediction was even more eerie. Why does it feel like these two are altogether different creatures?_

"Her sister, at the Nationals, is it?" Touka said once Saki was out of earshot. "I see. So our previous hypothesis is most likely correct. That girl is almost certainly Teru Miyanaga's sister."

Yumi stared at Touka. "Once you've said it aloud, it seems likely... but that shouldn't matter to us."

"New national players like yourselves may not realise this, but Teru Miyanaga is the real thing," Touka said. "The kind of player that even I'd tremble in fear against. Koromo, when you're playing Kiyosumi's Captain, don't hold back in the least. Without experimentation, relying on your instincts alone. This is the first and last time I'll give you an order in this tournament, so please humour me."

"If my friend Touka insists to that degree, I will do as you say," Koromo said. "That girl isn't Teru, though."

Yumi frowned. _So even Ryumonbuchi is afraid of the National Champion. I suppose that's to be expected._

"Wahaha. You're speaking as if mahjong skill is a hereditary thing," Kanbara said playfully. "I've seen a lot this tournament, but I don't think I can accept that one just yet."

"It sounds silly, but I wonder," Hajime said. "Touka and Koromo are also related, after all."

"I see. When it's pointed out to me, you can certainly see the family resemblance," Yumi sad politely. _Ryumonbuchi Touka's play-style is something anyone could do, with enough work. Her orthodox play is probably stronger than mine, but it's not a matter of heaven and earth like Koromo. It's an odd comparison to make._

"In any case, I wish you all the very best," Touka said coolly. "But we won't allow things to end like they did in the Team Tournament. Oh, and I'll tell you something useful, as well. Today, I played an unknown whose comeback rush in South had to be seen to be believed. I can't remember her name, but if you play a girl in a white uniform with long brown hair, take any risk to end it before the South round."

Yumi frowned. "Since it's a warning from you, I'll bear it mind. But why are you giving us advice?"

"Koromo still wants to play with you," Touka said haughtily. "Try not to get eliminated before that happens. Koromo, we're going."

"Okay." Koromo ran back to Ryumonbuchi, turning and waving at the others. "Bye-bye!"

"Wahahaha." Kanbara grinned. "Their confidence is worrying, even after we beat them in the Team Tournament."

"Well, their strength is real," Yumi said. "But I take back what I said earlier. When I think on it, the chance to make Jun Inoue lose points is a valuable one."

"Your confidence is also pretty worrying," Kanbara said. "But I'm used to that."


	5. Chapter 5

**Stealing the Wind: Part 5**

After a long holiday-related break, a return. Loads of mahjong. I'm experimenting with messing around with flashbacks, like in the actual series. It's a useful device to have character moments at the same time as shounen mahjong battles.

From this chapter on, I'll try and track the rankings of the Individuals as I'm writing it. I can see that causing arguments, but it's just an alternate interpretation. Strong players have weaker days and weaker players have strong days. That's mahjong for you.

* * *

"And now we come to a very anticipated battle," the male commentator said. "Koromo Amae is an infamously strong player whose high value toi-toi hands served her well at the Nationals last year. However, her recent play in the Team Tournament was even more remarkable. Likewise, the new challenger, Saki Miyanaga, has shown us some remarkable high-scoring play with miraculous consecutive Rinshan Kaihou wins. Even if they lost in the Team Tournament, their very strong performances so far in the Individuals is testament to their power."

"Koromo hasn't been winning by Haitei Raoyue, though," Fujita mused. "That must have been a one-off."

"Any predictions, Miss Fujita?" the announcer asked.

"It will be a high-scoring game dominated by those two," Fujita said. "But there's no way of knowing who will win until the game's over. They have the kind of luck that regularly hits come-back hands, after all. That's what it means to be loved by the tiles."

"I see," the announcer said, sounding bemused.

Koromo smiled. _Of course, the two peons are already quaking in fear. But the Rinshan user is calm. I'll be going on ahead, Kiyosumi. _"Reach!" She discarded the two pin sideways.

Saki smiled as it came to her turn, briefly studying Koromo's discards. _1-shan ten with no safe tiles, even if I break my hand. But I still have options. _"Kan." Saki pushed open four 1-pin, flipping over the outer two tiles and sliding them against the side of the table. She reached for the dead-wall, drawing a two pin and placing it on top of the three and four pin in her hand. _Tenpai. But this cheap hand isn't worth the risk. _She discarded the two pin.

Koromo smirked as the other players discarded safe tiles. _It makes no difference. _She drew from the wall, flipping a five pin over in her right hand and pushing over the rest of her tiles with her left. "Tsumo. Reach, One-Shot, Strongly Closed, Three Closed Pons, One Red Five. 3000/6000."

Saki sighed, smiling. _Since she's a little like my sister, freaky wins like that are to be expected. I'll just make it back in the next hand._

Koromo grinned as she opened her hand. _My deal. If you peons think this is over, you'll barely have time to regret that mistake. _"Reach!"

Saki sighed. _Double Reach. It's like Yuki's play.. _She discarded from her closed kan of south. _That will give me four safe discards, at least._

On the fifth go-around, Koromo won by tsumo. "Double Riichi, Strongly Closed, Same Chi Twice, One Red Five. 4000 all!"

Saki handed over the points unflinchingly. _But she really is strong. It's a little exciting._

"Tsumo! Toi-Toi, Red, Double East! 4100 all!" Koromo's eyes sparkled. _Even for me, this is a high wave. Give it up, Rinshan user. I won't be able to lose to you today._

"Ron! Toi-toi, Dora 3. 12,600." Koromo's expression softened slightly as West visibly crumpled from the direct hit. _Is this really all Kiyosumi's Rinshan user can do? Even though I've thrown away my softness and I'm riding my instincts like Touka said, isn't this too cruel? If you can't stop my dealer rush, you'll just lose without being able to do anything at all._

_

* * *

_A long time ago, in a small, neat room, a single family played mahjong together. The tiles were just a little dirty, worn with use. A beautiful woman and a girl faced each other, their expressions both fierce. Seemingly caught between them, a man with brown hair sat opposite a younger girl with matching short brown hair. That girl tentatively placed a 5-pin on top of her open pon. "Kan." She leaned forwards, struggling to reach the dead wall. Finally, she carefully placed the 5-sou she'd drawn next to her hand. "Um..."

"We need to flip the new Dora," the older girl reminded gently. She reached for the dead wall, deftly flicking over the new Dora with one finger. The second Dora Indicator was the 7-sou, just like the first. "8-sou is the Dora, again. You know that means the Dora's value is doubled, right, Saki?"

"Yeah." Saki was too distracted to hear the slight note of warning in that voice. _I can win with this 5-sou, but I think this hand would be worth more if I pressed on. Mom and sis are ahead of me by a lot, after all. And I can wait on the 8-sou with my 6-7 sou. _She placed the 5-sou on top of her second open pon. "Kan." She leaned forwards again, reaching for the dead wall.

"Ron." The older girl pushed her hand open. Four 8-sou sat in a neat line, surrounded by a 9 sou and a 7-sou. She was waiting on a centre wait for the 5-sou alone. "Chankan, Dora 8. 16,000."

"Again with that kind of ridiculous hand," the woman snapped, glaring at the girl opposite her. "I wish I could say I knew how you were cheating."

"How could I be cheating?" The older sister snapped. "It's an automatic table!"

"When this happens one time after another, I can't help but wonder," she said forcefully, before glancing at a cowering Saki. "And reflect a little more, Saki. Your clumsiness isn't just your problem in mahjong. No matter how often you do it, calling kan against Teru always ends up like this!"

"I think that's a little..." the man began quietly.

His voice was drowned up by Teru standing up and slamming her small hands on the table. Despite her young age, her strong voice and blazing eyes held no sense of fear. "Don't bully Saki! Just because you're a sore loser..."

As always, the friendly game dissolved into a mess of shouting and recrimination. No one seemed to notice as Saki slipped away with tears in her eyes, running up the stairs and retreating to her room. She clumsily closed the door behind her, throwing herself onto her bed and trying not to make a sound as she wept. Her small chest heaved. _Why does it always turn out like this when I try to win?_

Some time later, there was a quiet knock on the door. Saki didn't reply, but the door was quietly opened. Teru stepped through, carefully closing it behind her. "I was sent to my room, so let's be quiet. If I get caught, mom will get mad again."

Saki nodded quietly without looking up.

"Sorry about earlier," Teru said, walking forwards and sitting on the end of Saki's bed. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"It's not your fault," Saki said indistinctly. She lifted her head from her pillow, staring vacantly out the window. "But you're too strong, sis. I can't win."

"Don't say that. I think you're also amazing, Saki." Teru smiled softly. "It's harsh, but I don't like holding back. Holding back is really rude. It'd be like looking down on you." Teru frowned awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head. "Maybe I can't say it well..."

"I know. I was trying to win, you know. I really was." Saki sighed. "But mum's right. It always ends like this."

"That's not true. I'm your older sister, so I'm a little better at this than you, that's all." Teru smiled. "But you'll get better. Soon you'll be able to beat me whether or not I'm serious. And I'll beat you, as well. That'll be really fun."

"Do you really think I can beat you?" Saki said doubtfully. "That's impossible!"

"Winning is never impossible," Teru said. "And I like trying to win, even when I lose."

"You never lose, though," Saki said, sitting up and pouting as she stared at her older sister.

"I often lose, at all sorts of things. Losing is what makes winning fun." Teru leaned forwards, rubbing Saki's hair. "Next time, beat me. When you beat me, that will be fun, right? And it'll be even more fun, because you'll know I was trying to win as well."

Saki smiled for the first time in a while, nodding. "Mm. That will be fun."

* * *

_I never beat her, though. In the end, I couldn't meet her expectations. Maybe not due to her power alone. It wasn't her fault that she was that imposing. And I was so young I could only run away from her. And then, before I grew old enough, everything fell apart, and things are as they are now. I thought if I played Teru now I'd be able to face her, but maybe I'm still not ready._

Saki sighed, breathing out. Her hand touched the scoreboard while the dice span. _I see. I was running away. _She closed her eyes as the dice spun. _I thought I'd become accustomed to Koromo's strength, but that was overconfidence. You can't just sit back and wait her out when she's seized the flow like this. I need to stop playing with that kind of reserve, trying to stay safe, and go all-out. I need to stop running away from her, in other words. _Saki opened her eyes, her expression tightly focused. _West is on 1300 after that, hanging by a thread. North is on 10,900. I'm on 13,900. Koromo, 73,900. The other players are falling apart. I need to do something with this hand._

Koromo frowned as she saw her starting hand. _So this is how it ends... I'm disappointed, Rinshan user._

On the third go-around, she threw down a 1-pin sideways, her expression dark. "Reach." She settled back, folding her arms and pouting. _Go ahead and cower in fear. That just means you were only of that level, after all._

Saki frowned at her draw, pushing it open along with three norths from her hand. "Kan." She drew from the dead-wall, discarding a 3-sou from her hand.

Koromo blinked. _Declaring a kan of safe tiles, no Rinshan win, and discarding a dangerous tile? Is she finally going for it? You're too late, though. _She drew and discarded a 1-man.

Several turns later, Saki finally got her tenpai. She plucked a 7-pin from her hand without hesitation, discarding it sideways. "Reach!"

West looked between the two players, shifting uncertainly. Finally, she discarded the 6-pin.

Saki frowned. _My out... this hand was reach-only, but with one-shot, I'd wipe West out. I can't declare a win, and now I'm in furiten._

Koromo drew and discarded. _One or two more turns, I think. It's miracle enough Kiyosumi reached tenpai before I won. The dead-wall draw?_

Saki took her draw, placing it on the top of her wall. _It's not an out. With this, I can win... but if I add Rinshan Kaihou, the payment is too high. _She discarded the 8-pin she drew, ignoring the three more sitting in her hand. _What a narrow path to victory._

Koromo frowned as she drew and discarded again. _Next turn? _

Saki smiled as she drew the 4-pin. "Tsumo. Reach, Strongly Closed. 60 base points with the third combo makes the payment 1300/2300."

Koromo blinked in surprise. "Unless you draw Reverse Dora." Her eyes moved across the table, taking in everything.

"Unless I draw Reverse Dora," Saki agreed, flipping over the tiles. "None."

Koromo pushed her hand closed. _Passing up One-shot and Rinshan and still winning before me... I'll congratulate you. But that win brings West- South now- to 0. Your Rinshan Kaihou is sealed._

Saki smiled. _It was my fault this time, but someone's on zero again... she doesn't seem like Kazekoshi's Captain, either. I don't think I'll be able to resurrect her, even if I tried. It would be difficult to get to +/- 0 right now, never-mind winning. But I'm having fun. I was so worried about losing and not being able to see my sister that I'd forgotten how fun this game can be. Under this pressure, in this situation, it feels like I have nothing to lose, so something is overflowing deep inside... as if, like my sister, I can walk that narrow path to victory no matter what..._

Koromo frowned as she opened her hand. _What is this strange pressure? She's cornered... but has that finally awakened her? _Her expression relaxed into a smile again. _If so, you made me wait for it, Rinshan-user._

Saki opened her hand, eyes narrowing. _I can see it, that path to victory. _She discarded the 7-man. _I'll finish this in one shot._

On the fourth go-around, Saki called the Red Dragon. On the sixth go-around, she called the Green Dragon. Following that, she continued to add tiles to her hand, discarding middle tiles. Koromo gritted her teeth. _Three consecutive effective draws? That's frightening. But with my pair of White, I've sealed Three Big Dragons, at least. Judging by the winds discards, those are also out, and between them, All-Honours would be a narrow path indeed. I can make it through! _She drew to tenpai, discarding a 3-pin sideways. "Reach!" _I'll cut you off._

Saki smiled as she drew a red dragon. She slid it against her pon. "Kan!" She reached out across the table to draw from the dead-wall, slamming her draw against the back of the table. "Kan!" She added the fourth green dragon to her meld. She reached out for the dead-wall again, simultaneously flipping the second Dora and drawing again. Saki's eyes reflected the cold white light flowing down from above as she leaned her head back. "Kan." She pushed four 9-sou into place next to the other three melds. Once again, she reached for the dead-wall, her arm shooting past Koromo.

_Is this possible? _Koromo's eyes widened in shock. _This is your true form?_

Saki flipped her draw in her hands, slamming the 1-sou down in front of her hand. She pushed her tiles open, exposing two 1-sou and two white dragons. "Tsumo. Three Little Dragons, Pure All Ends, Toi-Toi, Half Flush, Three Kan, Rinshan Kaihou." Saki fell back in her chair, looking up towards the ceiling. "16,000 all."

Koromo smiled, pushing her hand closed. "I'll acknowledge your victory, Rinshan-user. But I don't admit my defeat. One day, we should play a game where you don't run away from me."

Saki lowered her head, smiling. "Next time, I won't run away."

"I'll look forwards to it." Koromo stood and walked away.

* * *

"And we finish with Kiyosumi's Saki Miyanaga winning a shocking comeback victory," the announcer said excitedly. "Ending on 66,700 to Koromo Amae's 55,600. This will be one for the record books."

"Certainly, the counted yakuman was amazing," Fujita said. "But she was very lucky indeed to make it through to her own deal on the hand before. Koromo had totally grasped the flow of the game, after all. Both of them are certainly loved by the tiles."

"With this, Saki Miyanaga's vast lead over her opponents expands still further," the male announcer said. "Her play has been criticised as non-standard, but these consistently brilliant results are astounding."

"Now she's seen off Koromo Amae, there will be no more obstacles," Fujita said. "She'll cruise to finish first with no major checks, unless she plays Koromo again. But I also expect Koromo Amae to be a strong second, especially if she keeps up with the natural play-style she just displayed. In a sense, it's a boring result, though."

"Even with this lead, this early in the first day there's still everything to play for," the announcer said firmly. "I can't imagine a fierce tournament like this will end without some upsets occurring."

"I hope you're right," Fujita said. "At the very least, the battle for Third should be interesting. Can Kiyosumi's Yuki Kataoka keep up this rush, I wonder?"

"Kataoka certainly showed her strength this morning," he agreed. "She's currently leading Koromo, of course."

"I doubt that will last," Fujita said, looking bored.

"Of course, the top ten is a fierce battle," the announcer said. "Our next spotlight match will be between the current fifth and sixth players, Jun Inoue and Yumi Kajiki. Any thoughts, Miss Fujita?"

"Kajiki's play is interesting, and of course anyone can lead an East-only game," Fujita said. "But Jun Inoue has strong results at the National level. I consider her performance at the Team Tournament uncharacteristic, so I don't think she'll lose like that again."

"Indeed," he said. "Ryumonbuchi's ace lead-off against Tsuruga's Captain... with the passion of the Team Tournament in mind, it should be a very interesting match."

* * *

_Jun Inoue. _Yumi exchanged a glance with her opponent, who just smirked, before pressing the button to spin the dice. _A strong player, probably Ryumonbuchi's number two. She ended up being taken for a ride in the Team Tournament, but that's just telling of how high-level that battle was. It looks like I'm being marked by her. There's nowhere to hide._

Jun smiled as the wall arrived and was broken, taking her first four tiles after Yumi. _The player who defeated Koromo... was that a miracle, or your authentic strength? I'll confirm which here and now._

The other two players stared nervously at their opponents. It was an odd sight, with Jun leaning back casually with her legs crossed, using her long arms to reach the tiles even while slouched in her seat. Somehow, without so much as sitting up, her tall body and powerful presence dominated the table. Yumi, by contrast, sat neatly and calmly, her expression unflinching and her movements without flaw. They had eyes only for each other, but it wasn't warm or friendly. They watched each other coldly, searching for hints in each other's faces that might give something away. Both of them looking for details that Nodoka Haramura and players like her would never consider important. In that respect, at least, they were similar to each other._  
_

Yumi blinked calmly._ The problem is her calls. She shuns reach even if it weakens her hand, and she'll call at strange times. Shifting the turn order to seize the wind from others? _Yumi frowned. _I'll have to find out._

After the eighth go-around, Yumi placed a 4-pin on top of her hand. _Tenpai. Pity I can't use the Dora, but with Endless, it's the same. The three-way wait is ideal, and it's my deal, so this is the time to use force. _"Reach!" She discarded the 1-pin sideways.

Jun grinned. "Pon!" She pushed the tiles against her side of the table, discarding a 3-sou.

_Close. _Yumi frowned, her expression still calm. _Green Dragon_ _Dora 3 is bad, but if she's going for it, this 2-5-8 wait might well come out._

After 8 more turns, Jun threw her draw down, pushing open her hand. "Dirty all ends, Green, White, Dora 3. 3000/6000!"

Yumi stared. _She drew a 7 pin to complete 8-9 before I drew my three-way wait? I'd like if I could just call it bad luck to lose the dealership like this._

She frowned slightly as she saw her next starting hand. _5 shan-ten... this is the kind of hand I get to fight Inoue as dealer?_

It was settled by the twelfth go-around. "Tsumo!" Jun pushed her hand open. "Strongly Closed, Endless, Pointless, two Red Fives. 4000 all." _It's over._

_That's quite the lead. But I'm not giving up yet. _Yumi bit her lip when she saw her starting hand. _It's pretty bad. But I have to try and make something happen with it._

Yumi blinked when Jun called pon on 3 pin on the sixth go-around. _Trying to shift the flow?_

"Reach!" West dealt a tile sideways, face tight with concentration. She looked warily at Jun.

_I see. _Yumi broke up her hand, dealing a safe tile.

Two turns later, West dealt the Dora 3-sou.

"Pon!" Jun grinned as she formed the meld, discarding a dangerous tile that passed.

West looked shaken, while Yumi swallowed uncomfortably. _Not good... in the worst case, Toi-Toi, Three Colour Triple, Dora 3. Safe tiles are thin on the ground and right now, it feels like Jun will Tsumo before West. If that's the case... _Yumi glanced sidelong at West's discards, throwing an 8-pin.

"Ron!" West gasped with relief, pushing her hand open. "Reach, Dora 1, One Red Five... that's it. 40 base points, so 5500 with the combo."

"Here," Yumi said, passing the points.

Jun grunted in disapproval, pushing her hand closed. _That's weak, Kajiki. You won't be able to stop the bleeding by neatly dealing in._

Yumi closed her eyes. _If my intuition was correct, I've saved myself 800 points, stopped Inoue widening her lead and ended her dealership... but more importantly, West's hand wasn't supposed to go out. Not after that call. You aren't Koromo, and even Koromo wasn't perfect._ She opened her eyes, beginning to take her tiles. _I'm on 8,500, and Inoue is on 50,000. The kind of points difference that makes you want to cry. But even so, I'm not giving up. Mahjong is a game that can change in every hand._

On the sixth go-around of the next hand, Yumi breathed out. _Tenpai for 7 Pairs Dora 2. My hand and draws this time around were completely different from before. Normally, I'd reach on this hand without hesitation. But I'm going to wait and see for now._

Jun frowned, eyes sweeping across the table as she concentrated. _It feels like Kajiki's hand has come together, but she's being coy. On top of that, the dealer's hand is also alive. I want to change this flow._

"Reach!" The new East discarded a tile sideways.

Yumi drew and kept a 1-sou, discarding North.

"Pon!" Jun took the North, discarding 1-sou without hesitation. _There. That should kill them both off._

The current South looked around uncomfortably, before discarding her draw, West.

"Pon." Yumi discarded the 1-sou, forming a pon of West in her corner. _I have my wind. And if Inoue thinks she can strangle me, she's wrong. This hand will come alive again!_

Jun narrowed her eyes. _Not bad, Kajiki. But I won't lose in speed._

East discarded 8-man.

"Pon." Yumi broke up her pair of 3 pin, discarding one without hesitation. _Dora 3._

_Dora 3! This is an ugly flow. _"Pon!" Jun discarded 2-sou, frowning. _A half flush on a hell wait for south. This shitty wait is proof the wind's against me._

Yumi looked around the table. _No more strategy. East, Jun, and myself, we're all in. _Yumi drew, placing a 7-sou on top of her hand. _If my read is right, this is a winning tile for East. But it also makes my tenpai._ She discarded the 3-pin again.

_It came together. That shouldn't be possible. _Jun scowled. _My control buckles under this kind of dogged attack, but you shouldn't know that. In the first place, you shouldn't know to change up from 7-pairs to toi-toi at all! But I still have my luck. One of you will draw this south, and I'll win!_

Yumi placed an 8-man on top of her hand. _You can't hold back the flood any longer, then. Good. _"Kan." She slid the tile against the top of her open pon, drawing from the dead-wall.

Jun narrowed her eyes. _Dora 4. How could this happen?_

Yumi flipped over the new Dora indicator. South.

_My wait is empty, and she has Dora 7! _Jun stared at Yumi's face. _You may just be the real thing._

On her next turn, Yumi reached for the wall, narrowing her eyes as she saw her slid her draw into place at the end of her hand before pushing the whole thing open. "Tsumo." She raised her head. "West, Toi-Toi, Dora 7. 4000/8000."

Jun began to laugh. "Well done."

"It was more luck than skill," Yumi said neutrally, pushing her tiles into the table again.

_No, you had pleanty of luck, but it takes skill to comprehend my ability in just three hands and force your own hand through. _Jun pushed her own tiles away. _But she's out of luck. Now Kajiki is on 25,400. I'm still on 46,000. If you'd managed a direct hit with that hand, you might have a chance, but with that tsumo, one miracle isn't enough. I won't let you do that a second time._

_The point difference is still horrific. But I'm not giving up. Compared to the Team Tournament Finals, this much is nothing. _Yumi reached out, flipping over the new Dora Indicator with one finger. _South. My wind. _She opened her hand, light reflecting off her eyes. _They're here. South, Dora 3. I can do this._

Jun stared warily in Yumi's direction. _The flow is hers after that big win. But I don't care. I'll just play carefully and preserve this lead. Even another double limit tsumo wouldn't be enough for her to win._

The new East had called twice by the sixth go-around. Jun called pon on the 8-man, frowning. _Like I'll let you combo up. _

By the eighth go-around, Yumi placed a red dragon on top of her hand. _Tenpai. Red, South, Dora 3, Dirty All Ends, waiting for 1 or 4 man. But I need the 1 man on a direct hit to make it._

_Now her, too. But she still won't reach. And this hand is a mess. I want to at least call to change the flow. _Jun managed to call pon on the north on the ninth go-around. She discarded the 4-man.

Yumi narrowed her eyes. _The limit isn't enough. _She passed it up, then called chi when somebody discarded the 1-pin. _I can't just discard the 1-pin in my hand, thanks to the rules for this tournament. But if I go out of tenpai by cutting the 2-man here..._

Jun closed her eyes briefly. _Now her hand is changing, the flow changes with it. I'm running out of options. _

East discarded a 9-man, sighing.

"Pon." Yumi discarded the 3-man. _Tenpai, hell wait for 1-pin. Normally, that would be bad. But it looks like Inoue has been holding safe tiles from everyone, as well as random tiles she can call. And if she suspects I hold the South wind, anything is dangerous. This 1-pin, safe from the Dealer Reach, might well come out._

_Please, let me call. _Jun sighed as it came to her turn. _There will be other chances. Let's just make it through. I have no safe tiles, though, and Kajiki's hand feels like it's big enough. East's hand is big, as well. What's most important is not dealing this last Dora South or the Red Fives that might bump their hand up in value. _Jun ran her eyes across the table, as well as her own hand, before closing her fingers round a single tile. _Win or lose, I'll show you no regrets! _Jun slammed her tile down, lifting her hand away and staring at Yumi. "Well?"

"Ron." Yumi pushed the single one-pin open, followed by the rest of her hand. "Red, South, Dora 3, Dirty All Ends. 12,000."

Jun smiled. "I see. Well done. If anyone else had dealt it, mind, you'd have been screwed."

"I could always change my wait again," Yumi said calmly.

"I suppose so." Jun stood, stretching her arms. "Nicely done. I'm beginning to understand how you beat Koromo."

"Both times were luck," Yumi said firmly. "Mahjong is a game of luck and skill, after all."

"How many times do you have to win before it stops being luck and starts being skill?" Jun asked rhetorically. "In any case, I'll see you around." She slid her hands into her pockets, leaving the room.

"Thanks for the game," Yumi said to the other two players. She pushed her tiles into the table then walked out herself.

* * *

"Room 16 over! Yumi Kajiki pulls out a last minute win with a limit and a half direct hit," the commentator said. "But Kajiki's reserve was unusual, don't you think? Normally she calls Reach far more often."

"Calling Reach against Jun Inoue rarely seems to end well for her opponents," Fujita said. "I think Kajiki could play more freely than usual because she realised Inoue was locking down the other players. But that style, with its strange calling, is unusual as ever. In that last hand, if Inoue hadn't called and instead used those tiles as safe tiles, the outcome might have been very different."

"A very interesting thought. And an exciting game between two unorthodox players," the commentator said. "With this, they trade places, Yumi Kajiki going up to fifth and Jun Inoue falling to sixth."

"When all is said and done, they're both positive for that game," Fujita said. "Kajiki on 37,500 and Inoue on 34,000. The winning bonus is something for Kajiki, but what's more striking is her damage control after the disaster of the first three hands. So in the end, this game hasn't settled anything in their battle for placement."

"I'm sure we can expect many more exciting games from these two players over the next few days," the commentator said. "Our next spotlight game is between the fourth place player, Mihoko Fukuji, and eighth place, Hisa Takei..."

* * *

The lobby was busy with students hurrying from one side of the building to the other in search of their next match. Several stopped to glance briefly at the monitors mounted on the walls, displaying spotlighted games in progress, as well as the current rankings. Yumi, picking her way calmly through the mass of people, looked up and waved at Kanbara as her friend stared up at the currently displayed game. The camera panned to show Hisa walking inside. "Kanbara," Yumi prompted.

"Looks like my game with Ryumonbuchi's third will go completely unnoticed," Kanbara said, grinning and turning to look at Yumi. "I'm a little sad."

"It's just a coincidence of timing," Yumi said briefly. "In any case, we'd both better get going. Good luck."

"Wahaha. Good luck to you, too." Kanbara waved. "I'll definitely bring this one home for Tsuruga."

"Right. I'm counting on you."

Kanbara turned away, placing her hands on her head as she walked to her next room. _I'm not doing badly, but at this rate, I won't make the top ten. And that's not good enough. Yumi and Momo will look after themselves, but I need to turn this one around, here and now. _Kanbara grinned. _Feel free to focus on the big names. In my small way, I'll do whatever I can._

_

* * *

_**Rankings**

Saki Miyanaga, +184

Yuki Kataoka, +176

Koromo Amae, +173

Nodoka Haramura, +156

Yumi Kajiki, +151

Jun Inoue, +148

Mihoko Fukuji, +147

Hisa Takei, +145

Touka Ryumonbuchi, +138

Kana Ikeda, +136


	6. Chapter 6

**Stealing the Wind- 5.5**

As an apology for the delay, here's a special bonus chapter. I've already accepted that everything I've written here will be invalidated by the unfolding canon in the end. But since it'll probably be real life years before Saki and Teru play, I want to use her character in the meantime.

Shadowphoenix, Yumi's hand in chapter 4 isn't pinfu/pointless because she's on a centre wait, 9-7 man waiting for 8 man, which is worth 2 base points and therefore kills pinfu/pointless. I'm sure I'll make mistakes in future, though, so mahjong scrutiny is always welcome.

* * *

Far away, an enormous hall was filled with mahjong tables. Students in a white and blue uniform played game after game, the clack of tiles and the occasional declaration the only noise punctuating a serious silence. Each and every girl wore a serious expression, their faces tight with concentration. Uniform chairs under the uniform lighting of a uniform ceiling above a smart, even blue carpet. The focus of the room was the enormous glass windows down the far side. Several white-boards on wheels were there, covered with neat writing. A projector cast the current rankings against a white screen coming from the ceiling. There were several desks with extremely modern computers, as well as work tables where masses of print-outs were neatly stacked. The far side of the room alone sat apart from the rest of the uniform line of mahjong tables. A single mahjong table sat there, aloof from the rest.

Teru couldn't help but glance longingly across at the empty table. _I want to hurry up and go back there. Being here makes my skin crawl. _Reluctantly, she returned her attention to the table she was currently sitting at, in the middle of the crowd of tables. The other three players were staring at her with something between awe and terror. When Teru turned her cold gaze on them, they just looked away, shifting uncomfortably. Teru sighed, her expression locked in a scowl. _I came to Shiraitodai because I wanted to play the best, but even here, nothing changes. They're just cursing their luck for matching up against me, that's all. Not one of them thinks this could be a chance, that if they could just beat me, they might have a leg up on their competition. None of them are even thinking of winning. Is the name Teru Miyanaga that terrifying? It's just a name. _

On the fifth turn, the dealer discarded a tile sideways. "Reach!" She stared nervously at Teru, who was sitting opposite her.

_Those discards are hard to read... is what I'd like to feel. _Teru slid her draw into her hand, discarding a live tile. _Her expression's too easy to read. It's a breakaway reach on rubbish. If so, she's right to be afraid. _Two turns later, Teru pushed open four 2-pin tiles, slamming them against her side of the table. "Kan." She flipped the outer two over before reaching for the dead wall. She checked it briefly before flipping over the new Dora indicator. A second 1-pin faced upwards, next to the first. She discarded her dead-wall draw sideways. "Reach!" The other players all recoiled while Teru stared dead ahead, still scowling.

The dealer sat, mortified, discarding her draws one after another, while the other players carefully defended against Teru's Reach. Finally it came to the last four draws. East sighed with relief as her final discard passed, while the other two players discarded safe tiles again. Teru picked up her last tile, flipping it over in her discards. She raised her eyebrows. "Tsumo." She pushed her hand open. "Reach, Strongly Closed, Haitei Raoyue, Endless, Same Chi Twice, Dora 8. No need to check the Reverse Dora, it's 8000/16000." _That's a rare way to go out, even for me. But I'd wanted to win with a direct hit and endless in one shot. Like this, I have to deal with their abject faces for another hand or two. _Teru gritted her teeth, looking between them for any sign of defiance. _Your odds are horrible, but you can still win. _

But in the second hand, no one made any attempt at an attack. Left in peace, Teru called Reach on the eighth turn. Within three turns, the new North ran out of safe tiles and dealt in. "Ron." Teru pushed her hand open. "Reach, Three Colour Straight, Dora 3." Teru narrowed her eyes. _A limit and a half already puts her below zero. But I won't hold back. _"This time, I'll flip the Reverse Dora." She placed the 9-pin from under the original indicator. Her pair of 1-pin was a Dora. "That makes 16,000." Teru pulled herself out of her seat, picking her way through the tables towards the far side of the room.

"It can't be helped," one of her opponents said quietly. "There's no way we could beat her."

"You're right," the player who'd gone below zero said quietly. "We were just unlucky."

Teru threw herself into her usual seat at the special mahjong table on the far side of the room, folding her arms and closing her eyes. _Why does no one ever reflect, however badly I punish them? You'll never get better like that._

The next of the elite back to their usual spot was Awai. She strode boldly up to Teru, flicking a strand of her blonde hair back and grinning. "How was it, Teru? Did you find anyone interesting?"

"They were all useless beyond words," Teru said loudly. She knew her voice carried. She knew she wasn't helping anything. But she couldn't help her frustration from boiling over. "It's not a joke. I'm not responsible for what happens to this school when Sumire and I graduate."

Awai sat down in the chair next to Teru, swivelling it and looking out of the enormous window to the streets of Tokyo below. "I didn't find anyone good either. But I'll manage next year, leave it to me."

Teru nodded shortly. She knew this was elitist, the haven for the top five. When she'd arrived at this school, she'd promptly been ushered to this side of the room after just a few days of play. There'd been a fuss about it at the time, since she'd displaced a popular second year. She still felt bitter about that. She'd never got to experience the hunger of being out there, struggling to rise to the top. But it was probably for the best. At least players like Awai put up a fight and came back for more. Awai had seen the name Teru Miyanaga as a chance, not a terror. That was a mercy.

Sumire was the next player to turn, elegantly standing above the special table with her arms lightly folded. As usual, her posture was perfect. "Well done. Both of you performed adequately."

Teru snorted. "Any surprises?"

Sumire shook her head. "After all, we'll be going forwards with the usual squad, it would seem. The final issue is placement. Leaving you as lead-off will probably still be effective, if you're willing, Teru."

"You later players get all the interesting opponents," Teru said, frowning. She shrugged. "But if you insist, I'll play lead-off."

"I do insist. The psychological impact of you leading off is extremely valuable, no matter the opponent." Sumire frowned. "The problem is Awai. Having her follow you in the order might be interesting, but I wonder whether we can leave the monster captains alone. Jindai, Hiroe, Koromo..."

"I don't mind either way," Awai said, smiling sweetly. "After all, putting a team below zero before the third players would be an interesting strategy for the Finals."

"There may be new monsters, too." Teru sighed. _I hope there will be new monsters. Anything to make this more exciting. _"And people seem to rate the Captain position highly. There's no need to follow me up, they'll be broken after my hanchan alone. And then they'll rely on their valued Captains to mount a comeback... so leave Awai to crush those hopes. That's all."

"Hammer and anvil. That's the strategy expected of us by now, but it is effective." Sumire frowned. "Very well. We'll just continue to use that strategy as they predict, and win anyway. I'm counting on you two."

"We'll blow them away," Awai said cheerfully. "You can leave the anvil to me."

Teru nodded idly as she turned away, looking out the window. _When I think about it, that girl entered High School this year, didn't she? But there's no point in getting excited about it. There's no way she'd enter a mahjong club. _"Sumire, do you have the member lists of Kazekoshi and Ryumonbuchi's mahjong clubs?"

"Somewhere, yes," Sumire said, looking surprised. "Though I'm expecting a win from Ryumonbuchi with no roster change."

"Could you bring them here?" Teru asked, trying to sound casual.

"Of course. Give me a moment." Sumire approached one of the file-laden desks, sorting through them with swift hands before returning and passing a sheet of paper to Teru. "It's rare of you to take an interest in my scouting. What are you thinking of?"

"Just a whim," Teru said absently, scanning the short list for Ryumonbuchi and the far longer Kazekoshi list. _No good, after all. Of course not. There's no way she'd play any more. Even if she did, with her cowardice, there's no way she'd be strong. _"How dull," she said absently.

"I agree," Sumire said. She took the sheet back. "But you don't have whims like this. Just what are you hiding from me?"

"Just wondering if Ryumonbuchi had done something about their second and third players," Teru said. "It's dragging them down."

"They're a team of friends, so no roster changes. It's a waste of Koromo's potential." Sumire sat down opposite Teru, her expression sharp. "But that has nothing to do with Kazekoshi."

"Leave me alone," Teru said, folding her arms and glaring. _It's not as if I'm expecting anything from her. I just wondered if I'd get to crush her again, but if she hasn't improved, it'd be just unbearable, after all. Let her rot in the sticks._

"I'm fourth," Takami said, pulling out the final chair and sitting down. "Let's get a game going."

"I suppose so. Give me a moment." Sumire glanced at Teru one last time before heading back to one of the desks to return her file.

Teru continued to stare out the window while the others determined seating and began pushing the tiles into the table. _Even if I remember, that girl has long since forgotten. She won't become my match, however long I wait. I'll just have to make do with Awai and the others._

"Teru, are you going to fall asleep at the table?" Awai said. "Take your tiles and show some seriousness."

Teru snorted, snapping her eyes back to the table and taking her first four tiles. _People who aren't afraid of my mahjong... it's enough. It's more than she ever gave me. _


	7. Chapter 7

**Stealing the Wind- Part 6**

On reflection I was wrong about Yumi's dealer pseudo-limit hand way back when, not because it was Pointless, but because it was 2 base points for the 7-man only wait and 10 for weakly closed, making the hand 40 with 4/6, a limit. It's a difference of 300 points or so, but being wrong is being wrong.

Another late chapter. And as usual, I struggle to get to grips with Nodoka. I'm not a fan and I find it hard to write material with her, but hey, a man has to try. Can't ignore the canon main character's wife altogether.

**

* * *

**"Let's have a good game," Kanbara said, looking between her opponents with a cheerful expression.

"Good luck." Hajime looked across the table, her expression thoughtful.

Kanbara opened her starting hand, her expression calm. _A good starting hand. I can work with this. As East, I'll go for it. _On the eighth go-around, she discarded a 3-pin sideways. "Reach."

Several turns later, she pushed her hand open. "Ron. Reach, Pointless, Dora 1." She placed the Dora aside, flipping over the tile beneath it. "Reverse Dora 1. 11,600, please."

In the bonus hand, Hajime called riichi on the eleventh go-around. Kanbara broke up her hand and played defensively. "No-ten," she said eventually, closing her hand.

"Tenpai." Hajime pushed open her hand. Reach, pointless, two red fives.

"No-ten," the third player said.

"Tenpai," said North, relieved to make back a few points from her huge initial loss.

"Yes, yes," Kanbara said, paying 1500 points to North. _I used to think this was all there was to mahjong. Then I met Yumi. _

In East Two Hajime called twice in quick succession, focusing on pin. _It's obvious, but I'll take it. I can always tsumo._

_Hey, hey. I liked this hand. _"Pon!" Kanbara completed her pon of 4 man, sliding it to her side of the table, before discarding the 9-man. The 8 followed in quick succession. Two turns later, Hajime discarded the 6-sou. "Ron." Kanbara pushed her hand open. "Endless, One Red Five. 30 base points, so 2600 with the stolen combo. And the Reach stick, of course."

Hajime frowned. _I suppose she's not total rubbish. Her defensive sense, at least... from what I remember of the Team Tournaments, she didn't win much, but she didn't really deal in either. This kind of cheap mahjong can really get you if it's East-only, though. _Hajime opened her starting hand, deftly placing a North on top of her hand before discarding it. _I'll mix it up with this hand._

On the twelfth go-around, Kanbara discarded a 3-man. _This tenpai just isn't coming..._

"Ron." Hajime ran her fingers across the top of her hand, her tiles cascading open one after the other. "Endless, Pointless, Dora 1. With 30 base points as dealer, 5800."

Kanbara winced. _Hidden tenpai, huh? And she passed up a win from North on the 6-man last turn. That's Ryumonbuchi for you. 32,900... my lead is looking shaky._

_That brings the distance under 5000. I'll over-take you next hand, _Hajime said, her eyes determined. _I won't let Touka down. I only want to see Touka smiling, so I'll win and win._

On the third go-around, the current South called pon on the red dragon, while on the sixth, Hajime called pon on East. Two turns later, she called chi on 3-pin, incorporating a red five pin.

Kanbara frowned. _Let's call that tenpai. The cheapest it could be is 5800, but it may well be higher. No sign of the Dora or the other red fives. _She dealt a safe tile from Hajime, the 9-man.

"Ron." The current South pushed open her hand. "Red, Dora 2. With 30 base points and one combo, it's 4200."

Kanbara sighed. "Yes, yes." _This is not my day. Now I'm on 28,700, just like Ryumonbuchi._

_A thousand point hand won't cut it, but two thousand points will. The other two can win with limit hands, when you account for the player on 19,100 currently being the dealer. _Hajime frowned. _It's a sudden death race._

_Sorry, but I'm good at this kind of short sprint._ Kanbara grinned as she opened her hand. _Two red dragons and one red five... the necessary components of a swift victory._

Kanbara pushed two Red Dragons open as the third was discarded. "Pon!" She discarded East.

"Pon." Hajime pushed open two of her tiles, discarding the 2-man.

Kanbara frowned. _I suppose it would be too much to ask, that she doesn't have a second double._

The dealer drew and discarded North.

"Pon!" Hajime took the tile, sliding the meld into place. _My scoring wind, so I have enough._

_She has enough. _Kanbara smiled as a 6-man was discarded, pushing open a red five and a seven man. "Chi!" _Filling in an ugly centre-wait to get my tenpai... lucky. _She discarded the 3-man. _Now it's real sudden death._

_We both have tenpai, and neither of us will bail. We'll just draw and discard until one of us wins. _Hajime threw down a 2-pin.

_If you read Yumi's club records, you'll find her rate against us is 1743. Momo is on 1612. I'm on 1432. It's embarrassing, since I'm the president and all. _Kanbara reached for the wall, seizing her draw and raising it to eye-height. _But that and this have nothing to do with each other. I'll just do the best I can. _She slammed the 1-pin down face up, before pushing open her hand. "Tsumo. Red, Dora 1. 500, 1000. Bad luck."

Hajime nodded, pushing her hand closed. "Thank you."

"Thanks for the game, everyone." Kanbara yawned, standing and turning away. "On to the next game, I guess... at least we didn't go into South." She walked away, smiling. _Well, I did pull out a win against Ryumonbuchi's third player. But 30,700 hardly feels like a real win. Winning percentages be damned, my wins always end up being this cheap. It's hard to break into the top 10 like this. _Kanbara rubbed her head thoughtfully as she walked down the corridor to her next game-room. _Guess there's nothing for it but to do it bit by bit._

_

* * *

_"You mean to say that we lost the three most important games?" Touka said, sounding incredulous.

"Even if you say we lost, we all came second by slender margins," Jun said, putting her hand on her hip. "And our opponents got lucky, as well. Well, Koromo was down 10,000, but if Kiyosumi's Captain went nuts hitting a dealer counted yakuman, that's not something that can be helped."

"There's no time," Tomoki said quietly. "Not in East-only."

"Don't worry, Touka," Hajime said cheerfully. "We haven't lost much. We're all going to rake in the points for the remainder of the afternoon, right?"

Touka bowed her head, closing her eyes. "Those players, getting in our way again... how are we going to stand out like this?"

"Koromo enjoyed her game with the Rinshan-user," Koromo said amicably. "And I'm still third overall. There's nothing to complain about, is there?"

"You're just being too stiff, Touka," Jun said. "Anyway, I need to get going. Room 24 is on the other side of the building."

"You need to get going as well, Touka," Hajime said. "It's your game with Nodoka, right? It's important." She touched Touka's shoulder before pulling her hand away as if stung. _She's... cold..._

"Nodoka Haramura is just a passing point." Touka opened her eyes, blue irises glittering under the lights of the lobby. "Since they're standing in the way of our visit to Tokyo, I'll have to crush them all."

Jun sighed. "I see. We'll leave it to you."

"I'll be going now." Touka turned, sweeping away.

"Touka," Hajime said softly. She raised a hand hesitantly. "Shouldn't we stop her?"

"I don't think we could, even if we tried," Jun said. "Anyway, isn't it fine? If it's _that _Touka, Nodoka Haramura won't know what hit her. Anyway, I really do need to go. See you guys at six."

"This is why I wanted to win," Hajime said, sighing. "Touka really wants us all to go to Tokyo, together..."

"It's an unnecessary worry. Koromo is strongly placed, and won't lose to these normal humans." Koromo smiled. "All we have to do is win, and put her minds at ease. Then when she returns, we can greet her with pride."

Hajime nodded, her fists balling. "You're right. I'm going. I'm going to do my best."

* * *

Ryumonbuchi split up, each going to their own room, to play their own opponents. All of them, in their own way, burned with the desire for victory. But the Touka who settled into her seat at the table burned with a cold fire, eyes tightly focused on a narrow spot right in front of her. _I must win... just why that is true, is almost beyond me, but the necessity of victory is something I certainly feel. _She ran her hand across the edge of the table, looking up slightly as Nodoka Haramura sat down. _If I recall correctly, you're currently seventh. One behind Jun, three above Hajime and eleven above Tomoki. By beating you here, they will all be exalted. And I will stand out, as well. _She stared thoughtfully at her own hand. It seemed as if her arm was blurring, wrapped in a kind of hazy flame only she could see. _I won't lose._

Nodoka hugged her penguin, her face calm. She played with her characteristic speed and precision. On the sixth turn, she discarded an East sideways. "Reach."

"Nodoka Haramura breaks away from the pack with her early dealer Reach!" The commentator frowned. "Since all her discards are Ends, it's going to be very hard to defend against that Reach."

"In a situation like this, the first tile is always a gamble," Fujita said. "What's interesting is what comes afterwards. Do you press ahead for a counter-attack, or do you fold and keep defending for the rest of the hand? Either way, that three-way wait on 2, 5 and 7 Man is going to be hard to dodge. And with two Dora and two Red Fives, dealing in is going to hurt."

Touka drew and discarded 1-pin without hesitation. Next to her, Nodoka drew and discarded with equal speed.

"They've passed the one-shot," Fujita said. "Now what? A digital player like Ryumonbuchi will probably fold on her weak hand, but as for the others..."

On her next turn, Touka drew, flipping a 5-man on top of her wall. She slid it into her hand. Following that, she discarded a 4-pin from her hand.

Fujita narrowed her eyes. "She held the wait, but she had safe tiles. Why the 4 pin? Next to the 5-pin... it's neither a safe discard, nor a necessary one."

Over the next two turns, Touka drew the 5-man twice more, including the red one, dropping the 5-pin and the 7-pin from 7-7-8 pin as her hand moved to one away from tenpai. Nodoka calmly drew and discarded, while the other players bailed, steadily discarding safe tiles.

"It looks like Touka Ryumonbuchi will need to drop the 5-man when she reaches tenpai," the announcer noted. "It's her only option for a pair on a Pointless hand."

Fujita nodded slightly, resting her head on her right hand.

The next turn, Touka drew to tenpai with a 9-pin. She paused almost imperceptibly, before discarding the 8-sou.

Fujita frowned. "She goes into a pair wait she can't win on without calling Reach and then doesn't Reach? Just what is she doing?"

The next turn, Touka drew a 2-man. She discarded the 7-sou.

"Once again, Touka Ryumonbuchi avoids dealing in," the announcer said. "This is really quite remarkable."

"Not really. If she thinks 5 man is a live tile, of course she can't deal 2-man either," Fujita said. "But if she's not going for it now, what has she been dealing dangerous tiles for up to now?"

Nodoka continued to discard her draws. _My waiting area has become more obvious, both due to my own discards and North's discarding live tiles in other areas. But my chances of tsumo are still good._

Two turns later, Touka drew, slamming her 8-pin draw sideways. "Reach!"

The announcer blinked in astonishment. "Unexpectedly, Touka Ryumonbuchi has finally moved! An extremely late Reach on a pair wait for the 2-man, without changing her hand? This couldn't even be explained if she was a novice!"

Touka leaned forwards as she took her next draw, pulling it across the table and placing it face-down in front of her hand. She flipped it with one finger, revealing the 2-man. "Tsumo," she said quietly. She pushed open her hand, reaching for the dead wall and flipping over the 1-man. "Reach, One-Shot, Strongly Closed, Reverse Dora 2. 2000/4000."

The announcer blinked silently for a few moments. "Touka Ryumonbuchi wins, with a hand exploding in value from luck alone! But her defence can't be called a matter of luck. What do you think, Miss Fujita?"

"It's hard to say," Fujita said. "Logically speaking, that was a fluke. But the delayed Reach declaration was perverse."

The next hand progressed rapidly, with the new Dealer calling pon twice on the 3 and 6 pin by the seventh go-around. Nodoka swiftly changed to defensive play, holding all her pin tiles and discarding elsewhere. On the ninth go-around, East placed a 3-pin on top of her hand. _Still 1 shan-ten. But I'm really going for this hand, Toi-Toi, Full Flush. Any Dora would make this hand a real monster. There's no reason to hesitate. _"Kan!" She slid the 3-pin into place, drawing from the dead wall and discarding. She flipped the new Dora, frowning. _3-sou. Not in my suit._

A turn later, Touka pushed open four 3-sou from her hand. "Kan." She deftly formed the closed kan, drawing from the dead-wall and discarding an 8-pin sideways. "Riichi!"

_Dora 4! But that's my tenpai! _"Pon!" East hurriedly formed the pon, picking up the 5-pin and discarding it.

"Ron." Touka pushed open her hand, eyes impassive. "Riichi, Dora 4, 1 Red Five." She pulled out the Dora tiles, flipping over the Reverse Dora. "Reverse Dora 2. 16,000." Her voice was calm, almost flat, and her face displayed no emotion. Only the outstretched hand hovering over her fallen tiles showed she knew she had won.

"Blink and you've missed it! In an instant, Touka Ryumonbuchi's hand erupts from 1-shan ten with one red five to Dora 4 tenpai and takes flight with Reverse Dora! Terrifying luck!"

"And she was pair waiting again," Fujita said, frowning. "Just what is this?"

_Stay calm. This kind of thing can happen in mahjong. Luck is just selection bias. It all evens out in the end. _Nodoka frowned. _That thoughtless playing style won't be rewarded in the long-term. _She hugged her penguin as the dice began to spin. _But it's so odd, I can't stop thinking about it. Last time I played this person, she was so emotional. I didn't pay any attention of course, but even tuning the outside world out I could still feel ripples of that. Right now, though, she's so... serene. Silent._

The third hand ended by the twelfth go-around, with East dealing into Touka's Reach. "Ron." Touka pushed her hand open. "Reach, Pointless, Endless, Three Colour Straight, Dora 2. No Reverse Dora. 12,000."

"From a turn three tenpai on Reach Pointless, Touka Ryumonbuchi trades up to a Three Colour Straight and then breaks up and replaces her pair to add Endless, Dora 2! And her Reach is just in time to head off the Dealer, who was waiting for Toi-Toi, Red, Green, Three Closed Pons!" The announcer frowned. "Three hands, three wins! Will the storm abate now it's Touka Ryumonbuchi's dealership, or has she only just begun?"

Fujita frowned. "This is definitely abnormal. In the Team Tournament, if you recall, for many consecutive hands Koromo Amae's opponents stalled out in 1 shan-ten, but this is different. Every time, the Dealer has pressed ahead with a strong hand, and every time, Ryumonbuchi has won big from their aggression. In a sense, giving an opponent a powerful hand they can't quite win is more effective and powerful than freezing them in one shan-ten."

"You're speaking as if Ryumonbuchi is controlling the entire table," the announcer said. "Surely it's just a lucky streak?"

"If so, that's fine. But she's playing abnormally. Her ordinary play-style doesn't need that kind of luck." Fujita frowned. "Either way, the emotional damage of these sudden defeats must be piling up on her opponents. Dealing in while protecting your strong tenpai is the worst kind of defeat."

Touka's unfortunate opponent fell forwards, her body shaking. She stared at Touka with wide, pained eyes.

Touka pressed the dice, settling back with a heavy expression. _And so the peons fall before me. You're next, Nodoka Haramura. Once I've crushed you, I can wrap up with a tsumo win. _Touka began to take her tiles, her expression totally blank. _From what I recall, you have a statistical playing style. That will snare you and drag you under the water, just like all the rest._

Nodoka hugged her penguin tightly, shivering. _What is this? What is this oppressive chill? Even though she barely announces her wins, they're scary. She's scary. This is even worse than Saki. It's as if no matter what I do, I can't raise a hand to her!_

_

* * *

_In a smooth corridor beneath a high ceiling, in front of large double doors, Nodoka stood, clutching her penguin tightly, doing something she had never done before. Greeting Saki after a loss.

"Hi, Nodoka." Saki smiled awkwardly, her hands loosely by her side. "Sorry. Even after we promised to go to the Nationals, I messed up and the lost the game."

Nodoka searched for words. They didn't come easily. Saki was so amazing it had been hard to imagine she'd ever lose a match she felt strongly about, no matter the opponent. And then Koromo's strength had unfolded itself, high-scoring hands falling face-up time after time, and she'd doubted her team-mate for the first time. But it wasn't Koromo Saki had lost to.

"You did it, Yumi! You're the best!" The black haired girl hugged the older, taller girl, while the rest of the team crowded around them, eyes bright. It was hard not to be bitter at that scene.

"The Captain gets the flashiest role, but that's all," Yumi said. "I was just lucky, and this victory belongs to all of your combined efforts."

Nodoka returned her attention to Saki, closing her eyes. "It was a good game. We don't have anything to be ashamed of."

Saki nodded, stepping closer to Nodoka and looking down at the floor. "They were amazing. All of my opponents really were amazing. I'm glad we came here."

"They were amazing," Nodoka agreed. She blushed slightly, feeling tense about Saki's closeness. "But I think you were amazing. Watching you, I could see it... you really had found a path to victory against that points gap. It was something only you could do."

Saki nodded. "Even so, I lost." She looked up, her eyes meeting Nodoka's. "But it's not over. I'll beat all comers at the Individuals. We'll go to the Nationals, and we'll meet my sister."

Nodoka blinked, surprised by her passion. The old Saki might have crumbled from this loss, but her eyes were so... strong and serious... "You're right. It's not over yet."

"Let's go."

Nodoka turned and followed Saki back to their team's room, her expression tightening. She'd been naïve to think that Saki was unbeatable. Of course, Koromo wasn't unbeatable, either. The fickle heart of a game of chance wasn't that naïve. Nodoka thought she'd learned that lesson, long ago. She'd reflect on it. But even so, over many games, true strength showed itself... and Saki and her wouldn't lose.

* * *

Nodoka took her tiles after Touka, narrowing her eyes. W_hat am I thinking? Anything as nonsensical as an invincible opponent doesn't exist in mahjong. My mahjong isn't useless against Saki. It isn't useless against this person, either. I may win and I may lose, but that's governed by luck and skill. However strange or cold she might seem have nothing to do with it. Mahjong knows no kings! All that is just a useless distraction. What happened in the hands before this one have nothing to do with it, either. _Nodoka opened her hand, then slapped her cheeks twice with both her hands. _After noticing her manner, I started to forget. I need to remember again..._

Touka's eyes widened factionally as Nodoka began to draw and discard at a blistering pace again. _If I recall, she began playing normally in the third hand. So the angel Nodochi has returned... it makes no difference. Right now, everything is before me. _

On the seventh go-around, Nodoka called pon on the 9-pin, discarding 5-man.

"Nodoka Haramura is 1-shan ten for a monster hand!" The commentator said excitedly. "At best, Toi-Toi, Three Colour Triple, Three Closed Pon, Dora 3!"

"It says a lot about this game that a direct hit with that wouldn't even mean Nodoka wins," Fujita said briefly. "In any case, Ryumonbuchi is also 1-shan ten for a double limit."

Touka placed a 3-man on top of her hand, regarding it impassively. _Tenpai. Full Flush, Riichi, One Red Five, waiting for 4 or 7 man. This is over. _"Reach!" She discarded the 9-man sideways. A moment later, she blinked, her expression briefly blank in confusion rather than in indifference. _She didn't pon it?_

On her next turn, Nodoka drew the fourth 9-man. She discarded it without hesitation. Over the next two turns, she discarded the next two, absorbing a second 4-man into her hand as she did so. She held an 8-man as well, discarding it when Touka also discarded one. Two turns later, she called pon on the 1-sou, discarding a safe North.

_This was outside my expectations, _Touka mused, eyes widening in surprise. _I can't feel the scent of my winning tiles any more. _Her expression broke into momentary surprise as she placed a 3-pin in her discards.

"Ron. Toi-Toi, Dora 3. 8000." Nodoka's face was blank, except for a slight smile.

"Why?" Touka asked guardedly, passing over the points. "Why did you pass up the much stronger Three Colour Triple hand?"

"I don't get any points if I deal in," Nodoka replied calmly. She sounded slightly puzzled.

Touka blinked slowly. _Surely anyone but Koromo and I, who know for sure, would try to force it through by luck? Even though I won, what is this feeling of hollowness? Hasn't this woman, in this place, played me while I was immersed in the totality of the flow, and escaped unscathed? _Touka stood, her expression cold. _No matter. I'll carry on crushing other players, so my sworn companions can thrive. A single player defying me is a matter of no consequence._

"Nodoka Haramura shut down her perfect game with a win in the last hand," the announcer said. "But Touka Ryumonbuchi still wins strongly on 53,000 points! Her abnormal, high-scoring play is a far cry from her usual measured play-style, but regardless, she continues to be a very strong contender in this tournament."

"It certainly was abnormal," Fujita said. "But when all's said and done, Nodoka Haramura finished second, on 29,000. She's totally minimised the potential damage of Touka Ryumonbuchi's consecutive victories for her own prospects."

"Almost," the announcer agreed. "But with this strong performance, Touka Ryumonbuchi overtakes Hisa Takei and draws very close to Nodoka Haramura in the overall rankings. There's still everything to play for as we determine the top 30 who make the cut for tomorrow."

Nodoka smiled slightly as she left the room, heading for the next table. One or two freaky wins wouldn't set the standard for this tournament. Just as Saki had opened her eyes and felt renewed determination after her loss, true strength was something much quieter and deeper than that.

* * *

Several hours later, the Ryumonbuchi team drove home in their limousine. Jun sighed, holding Koromo's petite body as she slept in Jun's lap. "I can deal with one big kid who goes to sleep early after mahjong, but two is too much."

"Touka's just really tired," Hajime said, toying with Touka's blonde hair. Touka was sprawled across the back seats, her head resting on Hajime's lap. "This happened at the Nationals last year, as well. I think when Touka becomes cold like this, her level of concentration really tires her out, or something."

"You can sleep off tiredness," Jun said. "But it sounds like she kicked ass out there. Pity we couldn't watch."

"Mm." Hajime sighed. "I can't argue with the results, but I wish she wouldn't exhaust herself like this. I wanted to tell her about my wins this afternoon."

Touka shifted, slowly drifting awake. She stretched, idly rubbing her forehead.

"Looks like you'll get your chance," Jun said, smiling.

Touka blinked herself to awakening, looking upwards and frowning. "Hajime?"

"Good evening, Touka." Hajime smiled.

Touka realised where she was lying, and abruptly sat up. She clapped her hand to her forehead again, wavering dizzily. "What happened... earlier this afternoon..."

"You won four times in four games," Jun said, grinning. "And you beat Nodoka Haramura, as well. As a result of those wins, you jumped to fourth in the rankings. In other words, you really stood out, Touka. The announcers were talking about you a lot."

"Ah, I remember..." Touka sighed. "I can't believe I wasted a chance to beat Nodoka Haramura. That style's not me at all."

"It seems pleanty you to me, though," Jun said. "Much more so than Nodoka's style."

"Shut up," Touka said sourly. "And if I went up to Fourth, I also screwed up. I wanted to make some of our opponents lose points so you could all rank higher, but I can't do that without winning and going higher than you people!"

"Of course," Jun said, looking at Touka like she was an idiot. "And we don't need your help, anyway. We're pleanty strong."

"It's good you're winning, Touka," Hajime said patiently. "It means you're standing out, right?"

"I suppose so," Touka said. She frowned thoughtfully. "I want Ryumonbuchi as a whole to stand out, though. If just Koromo stands out, isn't that a little lonely for her?"

"We're doing fine, Touka," Hajime said, smiling. "Jun's right in this case. We'll be fine without your help, so you should just play for your own sake."

Touka nodded. "Then I'll say bye-bye to that silliness involving one-shots and flow. Playing like that is really boring."

"You often one-shot with your normal play-style, though," Tomoki said, smirking at Touka's glare. "It's hardly like Nodoka Haramura at all."

* * *

"Well done, everyone," Yumi said, looking around at the rest of Tsuruga. "Momo, you're currently twelfth, so good job for hanging in there. I expect you'll start going up the rankings tomorrow in the longer games. Kanbara, fourteenth is also good. Mutsuki, it's a shame you've slumped a bit, but at 24 you've at least made the cut. Good work for that, it's been extremely competitive."

"I'm sorry," Mutsuki said, sighing. "I couldn't keep up with my pace from this morning... especially after I played the girl that Ryumonbuchi warned us about."

"The brown haired girl with a white uniform?" Yumi said, frowning thoughtfully. "What was it like?"

"Just as we were told," Mutsuki said. "I tried my best, but things went to South, and then she just won and won. That loss shook my confidence."

"Don't let it bother you," Yumi said firmly. "We all have bad games, and there are any number of strong opponents here. Tomorrow is a new chance."

Mutsuki nodded. "I'm using this as a chance to study, like you said."

"Good. Make good use of this time." Yumi glanced sidelong at Kaori. "And I'm very impressed. At thirty, you're scraping home, but you made the cut for tomorrow."

"I see." Kaori sighed. "I'm almost disappointed. This is really tiring."

"How many yakuman did you win this time, hmm?" Kanbara said, slapping Kaori on the back.

"Three," Kaori said, rubbing her back and frowning. "That hurts..."

Kanbara stopped, blinking. "Seriously?"

"Yes," Kaori said. "Is that odd? We played a lot of games today, so it's expected to get one or two yakuman, right?"

Yumi coughed. "Well, let's not over-think this. Whatever you're doing, Kaori, I want you to keep doing it. And don't let it get you down if your opponents start whining or anything."

Kaori nodded. "That did happen, but I won't let it get me down."

"Good. Well, let's go home. Everyone get a good rest before tomorrow." Yumi turned away, walking towards the exit.

Momo put her head close to Yumi, smiling slightly. "I'm beginning to think that once you've had a chance to train her, Kaori will be worse than the Rinshan girl and the Bunny girl."

"I wonder," Yumi replied quietly. "I'm not taking anything for granted."

"There are a lot of strange people in this world," Momo said playfully. "People like me, for a start."

Yumi chuckled. "A fair point."

"Can I sleep over again?"

"My parents are back, I'm afraid," Yumi said.

"I see. That's a shame." Momo stepped away, turning around and walking backwards in front of Yumi. "In any case, the number five does suit you, Captain. But I think you can do better still tomorrow."

Yumi grinned. "I'll just do what I can. But I'll give it a try."

* * *

**Rankings**

Saki Miyanaga, +273

Yuki Kataoka, +265

Koromo Amae, +259

Touka Ryumonbuchi, +237

Yumi Kajiki, +223

Mihoko Fukuji, +218

Hisa Takei, +215

Jun Inoue, +207

Nodoka Haramura, +207

Mako Someya, +194


End file.
